To all the amazing Mumsnet posters who supported the cause regarding the business practices of YCFF – thank you! I know it isn’t my place to say that, and of course I know I am not the OP (where has she gone?!), but I came onto this thread to fulfill a mission that I had already started before I found it.
So here is a bit of a summary as well as some important information on an action taken.
(The reason for my post is that I promised (teased!) a more detailed update on actions that were taken as a result of this thread and this is it. If after reading this any of you lovely people have any other direct questions for me – please do PM me as I will try to reply to all and any messages, as I have done to date).
First – I personally want to thank my therapist friend (herein referred to a ‘MTF’ for ease). She has been a huge support to me and my unhappy friend who I will refer to as ‘UH’ (the one who had a bad experience with YCFF). UH is delighted that we (that is all of the mumsnet posters!) have achieved this outcome and has even suggested she may come onto the thread herself in due course to give her story directly. I will respect her decision on that though.
So, UH was the main reason YCFF became a focus of some (ummm…lots!) of my time. While UH suggested not to bother as I would get nowhere I was determined to ensure no one else was taken advantage of as she was.
I asked MTF to look into them too as she is a Psychotherapist (and just for Jungle if she is reading, she has an MSc in Psychology) and works with lots of young people, with anxiety being a common issue she works with. Because MTF is the primary daily carer for a family member, she works part-time and has spare time to spend on things like this. She, like me, was horrified to hear UHs situation and tried to get some information direct from Sam to answer some of our concerns. When this wasn’t forthcoming and my spidey senses started to be triggered, I came across this thread. I am so glad that I did.
Lots of people PMd me with information – some that couldn’t be shared (or was asked not to be shared) which I completely respected but which added to the increasingly worrying picture that was emerging. For me, I perceived a huge breakthrough in understanding (thanks to one PMer and you know who you are!) who directed me to the HTCA website. I was aware of these guys personally from their ‘Fully Booked Formula’ days along time back and I immediately understood why what the Robins was doing was formatted as it was.
It seems to me now, that Sam’s NCFE Anxiety course may have come secondarily to the HTCA course. It may have been suggested to her that Anxiety was an opportunity that had ‘great potential for revenue’. Regardless, MTF and I thought it was important to disrupt YCFFs ability to entice any other desperate parents on to its formula. (Btw, someone actually PMd me that they weren’t even sure Sam had even done the course, so I actually called NCFE myself earlier today to raise a flag with them regarding the potential that someone is purporting to have done a course which is accredited by them. They directed me to an online form which allowed me to report malpractice anonymously. I spent 40 mins on the phone with NCFE who were amazing! They will receive a link to this thread and hopefully investigate - so thank you Hailey if you are reading this!).
So, to the (I think) most important element of our investigation. Early on in this, MTF put out feelers within her extensive contact list trying to find an investigative journalist, and she did through a freind of a friend. Like us, a Mum with teens. This amazing lady (Lucy lets call her) agreed to understand the issue and make some calls for us. Of course she has been reading this thread with huge interest and came up with a good angle which MTF and I had not considered. As you may know from public records, the Robins live in a wonderful private village called Clovelly www.clovelly.co.uk/. This article actually mentions Sam: www.devonlive.com/news/celebs-tv/devon-cornwall-more-4-clovelly-2813283
Renting is the only option and the owner of the village is The Hon. John Rous (Sam actually mentions him on her website). I read somewhere when researching (sorry I forget where) that Hon Rous believes it is very important to find the (my words not his) right type of residents for this private village and I dont blame him! If I had a village I would vet every single resident!! It was therefore summised that he would not take kindly to the sort of business actions of YCFF and so a call was arranged to provide awareness. Yesterday afternoon, Lucy made that call to the Clovelly Estate and provided them with some links to various websites, including the HTCA, YCFF main website and FaceBook page and of course, most importantly to ¬this thread. She did not make any unsubstantiated claims, she simply drew the information to their attention so that they could decide for themselves if they were happy with what was going on in their private village or not and if any action needed to be taken.
I understand it was a very interesting call (if you are after more details and I recognise you as a supporter of my actions please do PM me) and subsequently, only a few hours later the main YCFF website went down…I am thinking therefore that they decided action did need to be taken! Of course, I may have added 2+2 and made 5, but I am confident the call did have an impact.
Anyway - I do not know what will happen now, as I am sure that this could make a really interesting news feature or Horizon/Panorama/Watchdog report but it is early days. Btw, if you are joining this thread late, you might like to know (that among many other resources and evidence pieces) I have captured the wording of the original website, but for now I can direct you to this now defunct but still live (as in not been updated or used) website here if you are interested: www.anxietyfreeyou.com/biography
FYI - MTF or myself have also contacted the following over the last few weeks:
- HMRC (re potential VAT fraud)
- ASA regarding claims in Ads
- Facebook re Ads
- NCFE (as above)
- TrustPilot over Reviews
- Citizens Advice Trading Standards (I know others did this too before us)
- CQQ (thanks to whoever it was that suggested this)
Finally, the compassionate part of me wants to add: I am sorry for any inevitable impact this will have on any YCFF users, and their anxious children. I truly am. I am also sorry for any impact this has on Sam and her family, however I for one, cannot condone this disgusting behaviour and I just hope that they will learn from this whole situation and operate a more ethical, professional and appropriate business in the future.
GoodButNaughty – over and out…