Sonia Appleby has been awarded damages

[flowerpootle]

It's in The Times. With this and Wi Spa I feel like the house of cards is falling...

Gender identity clinic whistleblower wins damages for ‘vilification’

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0f17622c-0da0-11ec-8be5-c970b7541460?shareToken=1b12651b6fe1f39a862e3020bcc6f2a5

Thanks ANewCreation. It's the Observer, of course, not the Guardian.

And it's good that the article refers to 'birth sex' rather than 'sex assigned at birth'.

This is fantastic news. I really hope the full tribunal judgement will be published so that the damning assessment of the Tavistock leadership team can be seen by everyone.

What Sonia Appleby has done is really heroic. To stand up for vulnerable young people again and again as they are failed by the teams that should care for them. To advocate for staff members who came to her with concerns. And to keep doing that, right up to an employment tribunal, in the face of bullying from her managers and senior leadership. I take my hat off to her. Incredibly brave and principled woman.

@aliasundercover

Thanks ANewCreation. It's the Observer, of course, not the Guardian.

I think it's written for the Observer - no surprise there - but has has also finally appeared on the Guardian website. It's a miracle!

Of course the Observer has it featured more prominently than the Guardian.

this is brilliant news. so pleased Sonia has been vindicated

and it proves everything the women here have been saying for so long. safeguarding is viewed as the enemy by trans ideology

This is wonderful news!

Shame on those at the Tavistock who prevented her from following proper safeguarding protocols.

Observer is definitely featuring excellent articles on all this shite.

So pleased for her! GIDS need a serious reshape or gone.

I think ETs do not award great amounts. When I was a rep the Union used to tell me there was a £30K ceiling they never reached. And £10K was an average reasonable outcome.

Another reason for the 'low award' is the Sonia is still in her job. Sonia had good support from colleagues (can't remember the name of the psychologist) which would have helped her get through this. Also this is specific and about damage to her reputation

and.....Webberley gets a mention with what she described as “rogue medics and the political expectations of the national service”, as well as splits within the team.

If they appeal, then it's our money they're wasting, not theirs.

Well done Sonia

I wonder if preventing proper safeguarding will feature in the Hilary Cass review. The scope has a catch all bullet point which suggests it might

Any other relevant matters that arise during the course of the review.

David Bell was the phycologist

Another reason for the 'low award' is the Sonia is still in her job.

That's brilliant for the children being seen there. And even more admirable of Sonia that she's keeping going in what must be very difficult circumstances.

As an aside yes to the person who asked about bm killing cancer cells. There is a protein compound that produces cell death I tumour cells. It’s called HAMLET have a google it’s fascinating.

Formula is great and safe milk but usually it’s formula advertising that shits on breastfeeding. Breastmilk is complex and individualised and influences the developing immune system. Parents should know the difference but he comfortable with their choices. I have children fed both ways - doing your best can look different.

There is a huge scandal though that prem babies don’t get bm, it’s life saving for them and any hospital that doesn’t prioritise this - they have hugely different rates of bf and very different approaches with hospitals with statistically similar intakes showing big differences - loses children to illnesses that can be prevented just by bm.

Wrong thread sorry

I heard this on R4 news at 8am, it was the third news item and spoken about in some detail, including mentioning the Newsnight investigation. Cut to R4 news at 9am, not a single mention!
I want to know why it was removed.

Fascinating none the less @QualityMarguerite

Story still prominent in the Observer; the Guardian has dropped it down its website even further.

Yes Warrior - and a feminist issue.

On topic I agree that it’s amazing that Sonia is still there. That must have been uncomfortable but really shows her strength of character and purpose.

@Clymene

Well done Sonia although what an awful and stressful time she has had.

How any parents can send their children to the Tavistock now I don't know. Any organisation that works with children should prioritise safeguarding. If it doesn't, quite simply, it can't keep children safe.

What alternatives are there?

@highame

Another reason for the 'low award' is the Sonia is still in her job. Sonia had good support from colleagues (can't remember the name of the psychologist) which would have helped her get through this. Also this is specific and about damage to her reputation

and.....Webberley gets a mention with what she described as “rogue medics and the political expectations of the national service”, as well as splits within the team.

If they appeal, then it's our money they're wasting, not theirs.

Well done Sonia

The big awards of damages in employment tribunal cases come from when someone has lost their job and is able to claim for significant amounts of future loss of earnings, which would include pension contributions etc. The purpose of those damages is to put the person in the position they would have been in, so if they were a high earner this could be a significant sun.

Damages for loss of reputation, which is what Sonia has been awarded, are likely to be lower as they are a rough estimate of the financial equivalent to the damage inflicted.

It's been a long time since I was involved in any employment tribunal work but I think Sonia's award is a pretty high one for loss of reputation.

What alternatives are there?

The best alternative would be better funding and availability of mental health services for children to finds the causes of their distress that leads them to believe there might be something wrong with their bodies.

I am so relieved to see this. Vulnerable young people must be safeguarded when facing life changing decisions. The level of groupthink at GIDS sounds terrifying.

It's on the main page of BBC news app now too!

This is such good news that Sonia has been "vindicated" and I have so much respect and admiration for her. I feel a lot of anger though that this has actually had to go through all this in the first place and the vindication only fuels the anger in a "it was so obvious that she shouldn't have been treated like this" manner.

If that makes any sense! I am having an extremely grumpy day anyway but sure others may feel like this too).

Yes, I know exactly what you mean.

There really should be an inquiry (there won't be) into how adult lobbyists have managed to have such an extreme impact on the Tavistock that they not only push unethical untested medication at children but also abandon safeguarding on a whim.
Maybe there's a role for the LocalChildren Safeguarding Board / Safeguarding Partners? They're meant to be multi agency and there is now clear evidence that safeguarding very vulnerable children has been openly undermined?