GIDS being sued by their safeguarding lead.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

(Text from their crowdfunder)

My Details

My name is Sonia Appleby. I am a qualified social worker (1981); adult psychoanalytic psychotherapist (I992); MSc. in health psychology, (research) and MBA. I have a long career safeguarding and protecting children in social care, health and as a children’s guardian in public and private proceedings.

I am currently the Named Professional for Safeguarding Children and the Safeguarding Children Lead at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. I am therefore still employed by the Trust against which I am bringing my claim.

What is Safeguarding?

In all NHS trusts and organisations there are professionals such as myself, who work with other internal departments and external agencies to ensure there are 'root and branch' systems to keep patients and service users safe. This means responding to patient/service users' personal experiences, also including their environmental, familial, community/peer circumstances and sometimes any of the aforementioned domains could require the intervention of other professionals in different agencies. Safeguarding children and young people also concerns ensuring there is a sufficiently, healthy culture that does not unwittingly contribute to potential harm regarding the people who use and deliver NHS services.

Safeguarding within the Trust

My primary task is to ensure that clinicians protect their patients/service users from avoidable harm and are also able to recognize and appropriately respond to situations where under 18s are in need of safeguarding. My secondary task is challenge practices which are either harmful or could lead to harm. The Trust is commissioned by NHS England to deliver a National Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), which provides services for children and adolescents diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The treatments available also include "puberty blockers".

I have sought to ensure the principle of ''safeguarding children and young people'' is upheld whilst service users are being assessed and treated within the GIDS service.

My Claim

I lodged a whistle-blowing claim in November 2019 at the Central London Employment Tribunal. Since then I have made 2 applications to amend my claim as new information came to light.

In my claim, I allege that because I made "protected disclosures" to my line manager regarding concerns raised by GIDS staff ( that the health or safety of patients was being, had been or was likely to be endangered), I was subjected to detriments.

I allege these detriments are:

i) the Tavistock misused it's own procedures to besmirch me and therefore jeopardize the role of safeguarding within the Trust;

ii) there was an unwritten but mandated directive from the Tavistock management that safeguarding concerns should not be brought to my attention despite being the Trust Safeguarding Children Lead;

iii) and, clinicians were discouraged from reporting safeguarding concerns to me.

I also allege various other detriments.

Further to disclosures made to Newsnight by former staff, BBC Newsnight produced a programme focusing on the allegation that the Trust did not want to report any concerns to me. www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51806962

and you can watch it here

Sinha's whiplash from his HSJ article on the Francis report to his own Tavi report 😳. Why?

I suspect the Tavi lawyers have gone for the “you are ALL lying” as there is absolutely no actual defence! Lizzie I also suspect that this defence is to try and prevent anymore whistle blowers in the future. Not a good strategy

interesting that you listen to Tavi board meetings @rogdmum

They have been online and accessible to anyone since lockdown. Details on how to access are posted on their website in advance.

23rd June 2015 Tavistock and Portman Trust board minutes (p8)

17 ‘Freedom to Speak Up’ report
Mr Campbell introduced the report, explaining that it addressed the recommendation of the report by Sir Robert Francis which looked at whistleblowing and how to create an open culture within the NHS. The board discussed the recommendations, and the various appointments for receiving concerns. Mr Holt emphasized the importance of distinguishing between complaints and whistleblowing, to help encourage receiving both. Dr Senior commented that the work on whistleblowing was complemented by the ongoing work in looking at capturing lower level worries and concerns, and that NED involvement there would be valuable in giving an external perspective. It was agreed that this was an important topic and an update should return to the board in September.
The Board noted the report.

18 Jimmy Savile Recommendations Report
Mr Campbell introduced the report giving the background and explaining the draft action plan that would be returned to Monitor once approved. Ms Greatley noted that the language within the draft action plan needed to be tightened up and more detail given for some of the items. Mr Holt raised the question of ID badges, and access to the site more generally and Ms Lyon explained that the management team were looking at the issue and would be bringing a paper to the board shortly.
The Board approved the action plan, subject to the amendments discussed.

tavistockandportman.nhs.uk/about-us/governance/board-of-directors/meetings/

I don't get the TRA cavalier attitude to safe guarding. If they get what they want, self ID and abolition of single sex spaces, all it will take is a few bad actors taking advantage of the very very obvious gaping holes in safe guarding this creates for there to be a huge backlash, which will affect the whole trans community.

If I was advocating for what they are, I would have safeguarding front and centre.

@JustcameoutGC

I don't get the TRA cavalier attitude to safe guarding. If they get what they want, self ID and abolition of single sex spaces, all it will take is a few bad actors taking advantage of the very very obvious gaping holes in safe guarding this creates for there to be a huge backlash, which will affect the whole trans community.

If I was advocating for what they are, I would have safeguarding front and centre.

I guess because the concerns are coming from people they don't like and don't agree with, they disregard them. This is why silos/political puritans are so dangerous.

It just sounds such a paranoid place to work. In David Taylor’s report he talks about tension in the team, being lobbied by outside groups, and older trans people for early intervention with puberty blockers. He also mentions the lack of any forward plans and the importance of there being no collected evidence. This was 14-19 years ago. The issues with GIDS have been there in plain sight for the board at the Tavistock. They can’t say ‘We were following Best Practice in the prescription of puberty blockers’ because they knew years ago there was no evidence for it, only theory and biased anecdotes. They’ve known this for YEARS, they then fudged their own study into their prescription and use, and prescribed them to more and more children. They knew. I am so angry.

@NecessaryScene

A few years ago I think a number of us were assuming that the Tavistock were doing their best as professionals, and were in a somewhat difficult place, faced with external pressure from Mermaids and having to reason with Internet-addled teenagers.

In the last year it's become clear it's much worse than we imagined - they've been thoroughly internally corrupt for many years. Most of the sensible people have left and it's dominated by gender ideologues.

They're not much better than Mermaids with an NHS badge.

Its worth being aware of the history of GIDS. It was always an orphan service, the creation of one man who set the service's ethos from the start having being fascinated by a distressed teenage girl. Dominico Di Ceglie took her case despite having no experience or knowledge because he thought it would be good training opportunity for himself.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1359104502007003013?journalCode=ccpa&

Di Ceglie helped set up Mermaids and was an advisor.

1996 Mermaids at Glendys Conference,
And finally, why "MERMAIDS"? Where did we get the name? One of our member's children once asked his mum: "Would you still love me if I were a Mermaid?" in other words, no matter how odd people think I am, will you still love me? (She does, in case you're wondering.) When we brought this suggestion up in committee, Dr. Di Ceglie told us that very often children, and adults, who are male to female gender dysphoric, are fascinated by Mermaids. Certainly one art therapist was prompted to write to us as she works with a very young boy who constantly draws Mermaids.

www.gender.org.uk/conf/1996/mermaids.htm

Di Ceglie,

During the life of the service, staff and users have contributed creatively to its development. For instance, a mother of a child with gender identity disorders involved in a dispute over contact with her ex-partner, asked me during a court break if she could meet other parents facing similar issues. This was the start of a new development – the running of a group for parents of children with gender problems. This group became an important feature of our service and then led to the formation of a self-help organization called ‘Mermaids’. Mermaids had been the focus of discussion in one of the parents’ groups in an attempt to understand the fascination that some children have for these mythical creatures. ‘Mermaids’ is a complementary organization to our service, which offers the kind of help and support that we, as professionals, cannot. Their social activities and networks provide, in my view, a space within society in which children and teenagers with unusual gender development can feel accepted. Their social isolation is reduced and they can start to feel part of a community

Trust statement, "Our Gender Identity Development Service
4 November 2018

As reported in the Observer today, the Trust is currently conducting an internal review into issues raised about the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS).
www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/03/tavistock-centre-gender-identity-clinic-accused-fast-tracking-young-adults

The first thing to say is that GIDS has a long track record of thoughtful and high quality care in supporting young people presenting with symptoms of gender dysphoria. This is borne out by independent CQC inspections, as well as the feedback we receive from young people themselves and their families through our Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ).

All staff in the service are aware of the review and have been encouraged by both our Medical Director and Chief Executive to avail themselves of this opportunity to express their own views about the service. The Trust is concerned by the tone and manner in which allegations have been made. They reveal a negative attitude to gender dysphoria and gender identity which does not reflect the views or the approach of the Trust or GIDS...

The GIDS was founded in 1989 and is one of the longest standing services for gender diverse children and young people in the world. Domenico Di Ceglie, who founded the service, wrote a set of therapeutic aims which we still abide by today. This includes the unconditional acceptance and respect for young people’s gender identity. We do not therefore take a view regarding the outcome of an individual’s gender identity development: rather, our focus is to provide a space for exploration of gender, to ameliorate any negative impacts on general development and to work with young people to think through all the options open to them. These principles remain central to the delivery of the service.

@JustcameoutGC

I don't get the TRA cavalier attitude to safe guarding. If they get what they want, self ID and abolition of single sex spaces, all it will take is a few bad actors taking advantage of the very very obvious gaping holes in safe guarding this creates for there to be a huge backlash, which will affect the whole trans community.

If I was advocating for what they are, I would have safeguarding front and centre.

Is it possible that this is because the orthodoxy that trans people push is one that was formulated by the right to split the left, not one that has organically grown from trans people trying to work out what is best for them?

'liar' is being used because 'transphobe' would be too obvious in this setting as simply a means to silence critics.

The origins are unethical, these issues replicate. Any health and social care speciality still so reliant on the claims made by John Money and Harry Benjamin is going to have safeguarding issues.

"FindTheTruth

YG - but you’re not taking great issues and don’t know what actions were taken after you left the service
AS - yes
YG - will you take it from me that there were quite significant actions taken after this
AS - can’t answer that question.

End of YG cross examination

Is it not important that ‘significant actions’ were made. Doesn’t that prove the service was not competent if significant changes were made. Those significant actions were undertaken for a reason."

Not was wrong at all and anyway we took significant action to change all the definitely not wrong things after you left.

Yes, it works in the same way as "transphobe"; distracting from the evidence and reducing the witness to defending themselves from petty accusations.

Is it possible that this is because the orthodoxy that trans people push is one that was formulated by the right to split the left, not one that has organically grown from trans people trying to work out what is best for them?

No, I don't think so. It's come about from a complete lack of understanding what safeguarding is.

twitter.com/hannahsbee/status/1405090511447277575

Day 3 - Hannah B is live tweeting.

Sonya Appleby is next witness.

THREAD: DAY 3 - Sonia Appleby v Tavistock and Portman Trust employment tribunal.
Hannah Barnes
@hannahsbee
·
38m
SA - Sonia Appleby
YG - Yvette Genn, Tavi counsel
AP - Anya Palmer, SA counsel
EJG - employment judge Goodman
Hannah Barnes
@hannahsbee
·
38m
Kirsty Entwistle is the next witness. YG chooses not to cross examine
Hannah Barnes
@hannahsbee
·
19m
Pause while emails sent about supplementary evidence etc
Hannah Barnes
@hannahsbee
·
13m
AP - no questions other than whether contents of witness statement are true?
KE - Yes. Para 13 - typo - the word 'before' is missing.
Other than that it is all true
Hannah Barnes
@hannahsbee
·
12m
End of witness involvement
Hannah Barnes
@hannahsbee
·
10m
KE statement at para 30: "Whilst working at Leeds GIDS I received support from Sonia for a complicated safeguarding issue that I had. Sonia was extremely professional, knowledgeable and
helpful. In hindsight I wish I had contacted Sonia about other complex safeguarding cases"
Hannah Barnes
@hannahsbee
·
10m
Claimant Sonia Appleby (SA) is next witness
Hannah Barnes
@hannahsbee
Replying to
@hannahsbee
SA says she wld like to make changes to P.57 - shd read as 4th June, not May. linked to P.53

SA explains DB sending Dr Anna Hutchinson transcript on 15th Dec 2019 - and sending the email to herself.
AP - did you read transcript at this time?
SA - no. didn't have time. sent at 8pm
AP - what d we see next?
SA - Dr Bell sending me other transcript.

Kirsty Entwistle is the next witness. YG chooses not to cross examine

One of the other major factors that meant that I could not sustain working at GIDS was the failure of social care to provide support to the young people I referred. As the children come from all over the North of England I was dealing with several different social care teams trying to get support for my patients who were either doing risky things, living in risky situations or in contact with risky people. In none of my cases was input from social care secured.
How is it possible to undertake a gender identity assessment when young people are living in these circumstances and sometimes even more extreme? I do not believe that GIDS can claim to function effectively when it is part of a broader system that is failing to provide adequate support and protection for children and young people.
I also believe that there are clinicians at GIDS who are putting vulnerable children on the medical pathway when they are not receiving proper input from CAMHS and Social Care with regards to mental health problems and complex family and housing difficulties.

medium.com/@kirstyentwistle/an-open-letter-to-dr-polly-carmichael-from-a-former-gids-clinician-53c541276b8d

AP - when did you first read them?
SA - Jan '20. Thought they had been lost when bought a new phone.

SA explains that she pointed out to DB and said wasn’t prepared to send the docs to solicitor without the two people concerned – Dr Spiliadis and Dr Hutchinson – knowing a) I had them and b) I wld forward them to my lawyer.

KE statement at para 30: "Whilst working at Leeds GIDS I received support from Sonia for a complicated safeguarding issue that I had. Sonia was extremely professional, knowledgeable and
helpful. In hindsight I wish I had contacted Sonia about other complex safeguarding cases"
twitter.com/hannahsbee/status/1405097502634876936