I need to challenge Stonewall work training...

NancyDrawed · 29/04/2021 09:49

Maybe try contacting safe schools, transgender trend, sex matters for advice?

www.transgendertrend.com/

Or perhaps fair play for women?

persistentwoman · 29/04/2021 09:55

If you're working with young people OP, then safeguarding is the way to go and definitely Safe Schools Alliance who have so many excellent resources.
Also take a look at this from legal feminist about the reputational risks to organisations signing up to Stonewall:
legalfeminist.org.uk/2021/02/01/submission-and-compliance/

MishyJDI · 29/04/2021 10:04

@BackYardBetty

Unsure of how to go about it.

Can’t give too many details as outing, but I work with vulnerable young people. We had staff training from Stonewall this week on LGBT Awareness. I am so, so disturbed by it and cannot (in my particular role) let it go unchallenged, but I don’t even know where to start with how awful it was and how potentially damaging to our young people if this becomes the organisational culture.

Unsurprisingly it was the ‘T’ bit of the training that was worrying, as well as the dreadful Mickey Mouse stuff on behaviour that may be harmful to women.

Any advice?

Sorry for vagueness.

Easy one! Don't worry about it and be a nice person, tolerant of others' differences.

If any of the vulnerable young people were expressing LGBT+ sides of themselves, then that is perfectly normal and they should be able to explore it and be themselves and their identity.

If any seek access to therapy or indeed treatment for T, then they would have to go through quite a lot of medical scrutiny to get any treatment outcomes.

It really is not such a big issue that a number of people in this forum likes to make out, versus focusing on equality and feminist progress. But I guess it gives some people a sense of purpose who have no training in the area and are simply "concerned". Meanwhile those pressures make the lives of LGBT people so much harder.

Love that you are supporting vulnerable people in the community. More of us need to do the same.

Wrongsideofhistorymyarse · 29/04/2021 10:15

But I guess it gives some people a sense of purpose who have no training in the area and are simply "concerned".

What is your training and experience in this area?

Original poster

BackYardBetty · 29/04/2021 10:31

Ignoring the ‘be kind’ message as it’s not relevant to what I asked and isn’t a robust response to safeguarding the young people I work with.

Many thanks for the links to resources. Enormously helpful! .

OP posts:

saltedcaramelchocolate · 29/04/2021 10:36

Anyone who responds to a safeguarding question with "don't worry about it and be a nice person" clearly has never read a safeguarding policy.
Best of luck OP. It is not easy to challenge an organisation with such power.

R0wantrees · 29/04/2021 11:05

As well as Safe Schools Alliance and Transgender Trend, EBSW are also informed by Safeguarding & Child Protection principles:

Evidence Based Social Workers (EBSW)
"As a coalition of qualified practitioners, academics and social work students, we came together in response to our individual concerns regarding the uncritical use of gender identity theory in social work and other professions. As a group we believe social workers have a responsibility in law, underpinned by professional ethics and values, to promote and uphold the safeguarding of children. Children and young people with gender dysphoria are presenting to the profession and we are being silenced in our attempts to understand and discuss the evidence-base approaches to exploring this phenomenon."

www.ebswa.org/about

R0wantrees · 29/04/2021 11:06

It really is not such a big issue that a number of people in this forum likes to make out, versus focusing on equality and feminist progress. But I guess it gives some people a sense of purpose who have no training in the area and are simply "concerned".

puckingfixies · 29/04/2021 12:42

OP: 'I work with vulnerable young people' 'potentially damaging to our young people'

Poster: 'Don't worry about it'

FFS, right side of history, my arse.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 29/04/2021 12:57

Can you approach with something along the lines of "the training said X, but I note that in our safeguarding policies / risk assessments it says y. I am concerned that the training might not be compatible with our current procedures"

Of course, this will only work if you are confident your current procedures will take precedence over the Stonewall "training" and that they won't just rewrite the policies...

I read the other day that 25% of orgs are signed up to Stonewall, can't wait for their (Stonewalls) demise.

DifficultBloodyWoman · 29/04/2021 12:58

Anyone who responds to a safeguarding question with "don't worry about it and be a nice person" clearly has never read a safeguarding policy.

Indeed! And I would add that they clearly don’t understand the concept of ‘safeguarding’ either.

SingingSands · 29/04/2021 13:01

Remind your organisation that children cannot safeguard themselves. "Being kind" is not safeguarding. Adults have to step up and have the difficult conversations because we should be safeguarding children.

peacefulVistas · 29/04/2021 13:03

Don't worry about it and be a nice person

wow, just wow

Beowulfa · 29/04/2021 13:10

it's genuinely fascinating how posters who think they're getting a certain message across manage to convey the exact opposite.

OP- if you have safeguarding concerns it means you're doing your job properly.

KittyValentine · 29/04/2021 13:20

Easy one! Don't worry about it and be a nice person, tolerant of others' differences

Did you miss the part where the OP mentioned vulnerable and young people!!

Do you honestly think they would be able to navigate the crap that Stonewall are pushing?

You tell the OP to leave them alone and then you thank the OP for caring!!

Jislaaik, give your head a wobble!

lunar1 · 29/04/2021 13:37

Have they changed safeguarding policies recently, I do my training every year and never has 'be kind' been mentioned. We are told to question everything and are shown horrendous real life examples where professionals have missed opportunities to stop the abuse of children.

We owe it to our young people to ensure their safety isn't eroded for the sake of being kind.

Nonmaquillee · 29/04/2021 13:41

[quote persistentwoman]If you're working with young people OP, then safeguarding is the way to go and definitely Safe Schools Alliance who have so many excellent resources.
Also take a look at this from legal feminist about the reputational risks to organisations signing up to Stonewall:
legalfeminist.org.uk/2021/02/01/submission-and-compliance/[/quote]
Thank you, yet again, persistentwoman, for an excellent and informative link. You are remarkably knowledgeable; I love it!

Nonmaquillee · 29/04/2021 13:44

"Don't worry about it and be a nice person, tolerant of others' differences." from a PP.

Eh?? She IS worried about it, that's why she's posted here.

What a glib response.

DifficultBloodyWoman · 29/04/2021 13:46

You could try searching for LangCleg’s posts. She used to give excellent advice on safeguarding.

There are two threads that stand out in my mind. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to search for the them right now but will try to find them later on (unless someone else can post some links in the meantime?).

R0wantrees · 29/04/2021 13:50

LangCleg wrote Thu 21-Feb-19

"How did the scandal of TV entertainers grooming and exploiting children get so bad before anything was done?

How did the scandal of Catholic priests grooming and exploiting children get so bad before anything was done?

How did the scandal of on-street gangs grooming and exploiting children get so bad before anything was done?

Because if you create a sacred caste of any group and silence anyone asking questions about individuals on behalf of the sacred caste, abusers will see, infiltrate, and groom and exploit children. That''s how."

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3512177-Julia-Long-asking-Munro-Bergdorf-about-child-exploitation?pg=12