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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

Social Worker/Probation Officer Reported to Employers for Supporting JKR Tweet

65 replies

ArranUpsideDown · 30/12/2019 15:00

Quoted tweets:
In case some of you were wondering why there are not many social workers and safeguarding professionals on Twitter my experiences may illuminate you.

Following on from my tweet supporting JK Rowling and espousing the sanctity of childhood a number of the GI crowd took umbrage.

They reported me to Social Work England the body that regulates social workers in an attempt, I assume, to bully and intimidate me into silence. They are attempting to have me removed from the register of social workers for tweeting in favour of safeguarding children. [Thread continues.]

I don't know anything about Andrew Thorne. I am heartsick of people being reported to their employers about notionally one-off comments on social media.

twitter.com/athornehere/status/1211635970644336641

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StillWeRise · 30/12/2019 15:03

He is right to reference Rotherham

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RoyalCorgi · 30/12/2019 15:04

This is appalling. What a brave man to speak out. I love his Twitter bio, which says so much so succinctly:

"Qualified SW and Probation Officer. Optimism bias in safeguarding is my mortal enemy. Feminism made me the man I am today."

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ArranUpsideDown · 30/12/2019 15:08

It's good to see that Helen Joyce has just tweeted about it.

twitter.com/HJoyceGender/status/1211664590007947266

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littlbrowndog · 30/12/2019 15:15

From Andrews twitter below

I will NOT be bullied into silence and WILL take this the whole way if necessary through the courts. My role as a social worker is not to please bullying adults. It is to protect vulnerable children and adults, most often from the very adults being aggressive and abusive.

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GeordieTerf · 30/12/2019 15:16

Good for him for speaking out. It sounds like he isn’t backing down either. Xmas Smile

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Datun · 30/12/2019 15:52

Good. Very brave to be prepared to take it all the way.

I hope he starts a crowd funder. People want to help.

The numbers are increasing. Every day.

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RoyalCorgi · 30/12/2019 15:57

We were talking on another thread about all the medical professionals, the skeptics and the scientists who are supporting the TRA ideology.

Why don't any of them seem to ask themselves whether they really want to be on the same side as people who are hounding others out of their jobs?

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ArranUpsideDown · 30/12/2019 16:04

whether they really want to be on the same side as people who are hounding others out of their jobs?

I doubt that they would (I like to think neither Cicely Marston nor Trisha Greenhalgh would endorse this action, no matter what they think of other topics).

That said, David Gorski is frequently reported to his employers for his skeptical activities (he has an extensive history of robust action against Holocaust deniers, quack cancer /autism remedies, and anti-vaxxers).

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ScrimshawTheSecond · 30/12/2019 16:05

Good for him, brave man. Thank fuck some professionals are willing to publicly talk about these issues - it's utterly terrifying that it's virtually forbidden to go against the 'affirmation' policies.

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Uncompromisingwoman · 30/12/2019 16:05

Safeguarding..... Not allowing people to comment on safeguarding children for fear of offending a tiny group of adults.
This is how low we have sunk.

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rodgmum · 30/12/2019 16:15

I’m utterly appalled by it. He was one of the first people I found on Twitter who was questioning automatic positive affirmation. He’s great and happy to publicly chat to people about the issues. I’m guessing, but there was one particularly horrid tweeter who was giving him hassle before Christmas- wouldn’t surprise me if they were the one to complain.

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boatyardblues · 30/12/2019 16:26

Like others, I would support a crowd funded legal challenge for this brave professional, if required. Trampling over safeguarding good practice is unacceptable - the most vulnerable in our society need social workers and safeguarding professionals to be free to ask the difficult questions and push for answers.

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TinselAngel · 30/12/2019 16:41

Andrew gets this debate so much I'd always assumed he was a woman with a fake online male identity!

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Uncompromisingwoman · 30/12/2019 16:42

Spot on boatyardblues

It's high time the press started seriously investigating those seeking to silence people raising questions about safeguarding, ROGD, transitioning young children as well as the significant numbers of adults seeking to sexualise children. Standing by watching this happen must not be an option.

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happydappy2 · 30/12/2019 17:23

Yet we still have Girl Guides dangerous policy of allowing transwomen to share overnight accommodation with young girls....when will they wake up?
Andrew Thorne is a brave man indeed.

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severnboring · 30/12/2019 18:33

I've had child safeguarding training from a woman who goes on demos with a 'no terfs on our turf' placard Confused

Thank you Andrew. I hope your colleagues step up.

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FannyCann · 30/12/2019 19:02

Slight derail but this is a cracking thread that was on his timeline.

twitter.com/hatpinwoman/status/1208553113738776577?s=20

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CrissmussMockers · 30/12/2019 19:05

I done loads a safeguarding. They give you the multi-choice answers on a piece of paper, then the ones who get it right first time help the ones who didn't pass until everyone passes.

Tickyboxes, on the hillside. Tickyboxes, made of tikky-takey. And we all fill in the boxes. And we all think just the same....

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Newuser123123 · 30/12/2019 20:26

He is absolutely spot on. It's funny, I saw a job the other day in a local authority and didn't apply for it as I knew it would be impossible to speak freely about these issues whilst in a politically restricted role.

I have first hand experience of massive blind spots in local authority safeguarding practice (similar to Rotherham) and left my last job because of it. He is right to be concerned.

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theflushedzebra · 30/12/2019 20:39

It's incredible and unbelievable that the gaps in safeguarding seem to be widening, not closed up.

The lessons of Rotherham, and Saville, and all the others, have not been learned.

Andrew is a brave person to stand up like this.

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CrissmussMockers · 30/12/2019 20:43

It's tickyboxes!

Ever since Soham, where the perfectly good police check system was short-circuited, but instead of fixing it, they threw it out and gave us the crazy world of DBS.

It is absolutely nothing to do with safety of vulnerable groups and absolutely everything to do with public bodies covering their arses for the sake of the insurance. And nothing else.

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Angryresister · 30/12/2019 21:27

and the stonewall mermaids trainers are welcomed into Social services..

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Doobigetta · 30/12/2019 21:53

I’d be really interested to read more about that, @CrissmussMockers- could you suggest any links?

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MagicalThinking · 30/12/2019 22:03

I see twitter user Nicola Jayne (nicolajayneh) - an ex HCP, now transwoman ballerina - was involved with searching for and sharing Andrew Thorne's social work record.

twitter.com/vickyjane64/status/1208685026789019648

It's not the first time NJ's name has popped up in relation to trans related stories.

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CodenameVillanelle · 30/12/2019 22:06

I've messaged Andrew to say I'll happily sign a letter to social work England in support of his right to express his views and I hope that other registered social workers will do so too.

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