National Autistic Society and Mermaids [Title edited by MNHQ]

[GColdtimer]

My friend just posted this on Facebook this morning. She isn't on MN so I have her permission to share. She would really like more people, especially people with ASD or who have children with ASD, to write to NAS thanking them for their willingness to listen and their agreement that Mermaids is not reputable.

This is really great news so please can we keep this bumped and shared. Thank you.

If posters on the SEN board would like to share that would also be great (if appropriate).

Dear XXXX ,

Thank you for your feedback regarding the Gender and autism page on our website.

I’m writing to let you know that I’ve raised your concerns regarding Mermaids UK, one of the organisations we link to on our Gender and autism page, with a number of teams within the National Autistic Society. In light of the concerns raised in your message, and of other feedback that we have received, we have decided to remove all links to Mermaids UK from our website, while we take the time to consult with relevant professionals and to reconsider which organisations we wish to place links to on our website.

As such, our Web Team are working to remove all links to Mermaids UK from our website as soon as possible. Please do be aware, however, that, as we are currently in the process of updating our website to reflect our new branding and organisational identity, it may take a few days for this to be actioned.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention, and I hope that you are satisfied with the actions we are taking in light of the concerns that you have raised.

Kind regards,

National Autistic Society

[Edited by MNHQ to remove personal info]

I can't work you out spiritual sometimes I think you are genuine other times you come across as deliberately goading to provoke a reaction.
Whatever it is I wish you well and hope my time hasn't been wasted trying to explain things.

Not that it matters, go back to my own planet at the end of November.

Has anyone received any replies to their mails to the NAS? I havent

No, no reply. I meant to follow up yesterday but got distracted. Will try today.

article by Prof. Michael Biggs about Mermaids and other TRAs use of suicide statistics in reference to the drama Butterfly:
www.transgendertrend.com/suicide-by-trans-identified-children-in-england-and-wales/

& news of a new minister for suicide prevention who one hopes will be made aware of this as a need for investigation and action:
www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/oct/10/uk-appoints-its-first-minister-for-suicide-prevention

Very interesting. You can google NAS safeguarding policy. Check out number 3 they believe in prevention yet are choosing to keep Mermaids up

Six Key Principles:
There are six recognised key safeguarding principles:

1. Empowerment: a presumption of person-led decisions and informed

consent.

1. Protection: support and representation for those in greatest need.
2. Prevention: it is better to take action before harm occurs.

Safeguarding Adults Policy SO-0194 V3.1 Page 5 of 15 ©NAS If printed this is an uncontrolled copy – refer to NASnet for latest version

1. Proportionality: a proportionate and least intrusive response appropriate to

the risk presented.

1. Partnership: local solutions achieved via services working with their

communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse.

1. Accountability: accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding.

Dear NAS
I would like to draw your attention to your own safeguarding policy. I want to draw you attention to number 3 where you clearly talk about prevention of abuse. That it is better to take steps to prevent. yet you choose to keep a questionable charity on your website. Your review policy doesnt matter at this tsage because of your safe guarding policy which should override everything else:

Six Key Principles: There are six recognised key safeguarding principles:

1. Empowerment: a presumption of person-led decisions and informed consent.
2. Protection: support and representation for those in greatest need.
3. Prevention: it is better to take action before harm occurs. Safeguarding Adults Policy SO-0194 V3.1 Page 5 of 15 ©NAS If printed this is an uncontrolled copy – refer to NASnet for latest version
4. Proportionality: a proportionate and least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented.
5. Partnership: local solutions achieved via services working with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse. 6. Accountability: accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding.

Also from your safeguarding children policy:

The NAS define safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children as:
• protecting children from maltreatment;
• preventing impairment of children's health or development;
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

You say you protect children from maltreatment and you prevent impairment of childrens health or development yet you are allowing a charity that has just been in trouble with the law for illegally experimenting on children in ways that sterilise them on your website

Surely you need to do the investigation BEFORE you allow them on your website. You wouldnt allow a staff member ti work with autistic children without a DBS check. Why are you forwarding autistic children to a charity without first checking out of it is safe?

Andrew Giligan (Times)

Good on him!

Oh well done!

Hooray for Andrew Gilligan!

oh at least thats something, good on him

Hopefully this will mean a Sunday Times article. Good if he also mentions those charities who provide links through the the "troubling" Mermaids charity: NAS, Stonewall etc, and even better if he mentions those that have funded Mermaids in the past including the FCA.

It'd be good if some parallels could be drawn with Kids Company too...

Let not forget what was cleared up today in the house of lords:

Failure to share someone’s belief is not the same as mocking or disdaining it.
It's in no way hate speach to say TWAW.
Human Righs Article 9 supports this right.

CaptainKirkssparetupee Please tell me more. I am having a facebook detox. Do you have links to any articles about this?

I haven’t had reply.

Much respect to Andrew Gilligan I’ve been following him for a while on twitter. Never would I imagine thinking how brave people were just for speaking up, but they are given hateful backlash they be getting.

lunarain mind if I copy yours, maybe mine was to emotionally long winded. So I just add small piece to the end this time.

Not going to be contributing much to thread as it all got to much for me recently

CaptainKirkssparetupee Please tell me more. I am having a facebook detox. Do you have links to any articles about this?

Try and find the WPUK in the house of lord threads.

IKeepFlouncing I am not really happy for it to be copied as people dont take duplicated emails seriously but if you want to tweak it you can use it as a basis and then make some changes

Yes thank you lunarain will definitely tweak it otherwise they will wonder if I been possessed, as not my usual rambling style.

Captain that's really really interesting. Would you know where I could find out more about this?

Slow typing.
Thanks - will look.

Dear Lisa

Thank you for following up on your original email with more information and for sharing details about your own experience. Your experience demonstrates how very difficult and divisive this issue can be. That is why we are taking time and care to plan the current review of our online information about gender and autism, including the links we should include. I can assure you that your comments will be considered as part of that review.

I can also assure you that in previous reviews of this page we considered the links in line with our standard protocols, to check that all organisations were relevant and appropriate.

I also want to stress that we have already updated the page to point out to people using it that they must look at advice and support from a range of organisations.

With kind regards,

Supporter Care Team

T: 0808 800 1050 (Mon - Thurs 10am - 4pm and Fri 9am - 3pm)

E: [email protected]

A: 393 City Road, London, EC1V 1NG

lunarain

That’s a really thoughtful reply and deserving of respect. The fact they haven’t done what some have be at the mercy of those who have real no valid interest whatsoever in first place. Just them whatvto assert power.

So am grateful NAS have continued to put service users at for front when doing what’s best for them.

It’s one of those moments when you can breath again although still have that concern they might fall for dirty tactics of others.

Wanted to ask other day but just didn’t want to put anything that the devious watchers do.

Have any of you spoke to your SENCO? Not just about this but incase fad hits your school. (Don’t answer if you have for obvious reasons)

Sorry the SPAG is my worst to-date. Running on 3hrs sleep!