Organisations that are still signposting kids to Mermaids

[MarmaladeFatkins]

with recent revelations and events, I see that NHS are removing links to Mermaids. Schools have been told not to recommend Mermaids by DfE. Alot of people are commenting that their councils are removing links to Mermaids. National Lottery (and another org?) has stopped their funding to Mermaids.

however some organisations have not distanced themselves/removed links and some are doubling down on their support for Mermaids. I thought it might be useful to catalogue those organisations;

@SalviaOfficinalis yes, they moved to Spain...www.abergavennychronicle.com/news/two-month-suspension-for-gp-after-husband-struck-off-555012

Place2Be, the children’s counselling charity, has linked to Mermaids on its website 😳

www.place2be.org.uk/our-services/parents-and-carers/supporting-your-child-s-mental-health/

Young Minds ("UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people's mental health") links to Mermaids.

GI say they use the NYA Safeguarding Framework which is here: www.nya.org.uk/safeguarding-asset/safeguarding-for-youth-work-2/

Note they updated their page yesterday!

Archive:archive.ph/nUBfu

Why would the BHF have any reason to link to Mermaids? How odd.

Well, " A panel discussion involving the charity Mermaids has also been held to help colleagues deepen their knowledge of the transgender and non-binary community. "

And BHF say that transition has an effect on heart health. Mannly the BHF page seems good, though I'm suspicious about some of this: Dr Connelly says: “We do not know for certain what the hormones do and why they could cause cardiovascular problems, but we know gender-affirming hormone treatment is lifesaving to many people, and I wouldn’t advise trans people stop this therapy."

Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity who employ lots of the counsellors in our schools:

www.place2be.org.uk/our-services/parents-and-carers/supporting-your-child-s-mental-health/

archive: archive.ph/SJtfd

Comparisons to the collapse of Kids Company really don't work because Kids Company was just one organisation and not influential. Mermaids' influence is deeply embedded in all these other organisations.

Does this mean there is a Place2Be counsellor in ALL our schools?

www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/impact-and-evidence/statistics-and-evidence/#

www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/news-and-blogs/2022/june/supporting-the-mental-health-of-lgbtq-young-people/

Place2Be ‘Memorandum of Understanding’

www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/news-and-blogs/2022/april/a-statement-from-place2be-on-the-uk-conversion-therapy-ban/

Oh @SalviaOfficinalis Bristol Mind signposts DIRECTLY to GenderGP so they wouldn't have any issue with Mermaids also signposting it!

Bath Mind also links to Mermaids (but not directly to GenderGP)

I saw this on another thread about mermaids - the lead of Amnesty Scotland tweeted in defence of Mermaids, stating that the BBC were appalling for reporting on the Charity Commission investigation. That tweet was then liked by the Head of Stonewall Scotland/NI among others. As a previous long standing subscriber to amnesty with long standing Scots links, this really bothered me (though sadly no longer surprising).

As you say, if other charities aren't able to take this as a warning and start checking their own safeguarding, and instead spend their time defending Mermaids and doubling down....what does that say about the charity sector in general?

Bristol Mind signposting GenderGP directly

I agree that this is very worrying. They really don’t want to know about or see the issues here, do they?

@FrancescaContini nope, and that kind of blanket, unthinking and unquestioning support for another organisation, just because you believe that anything it does = good, and anyone criticising it = bad is exactly how safeguarding breaches occur!

Why would very senior, charity leaders leap in to condemn ANY SUGGESTIONS of wrongdoing at the earliest opportunity, even when the concerns are serious and involve children being at risk of harm. Why wouldn't you keep quiet and listen for a moment before putting pen to paper (or thumb to phone in Twitter terms).

This would be really useful; I am trying to put together something to send to British Rowing who have links to Mermaids, Gendered Intelligence, NHS GIDS, etc.

Jsut checked the Mermaids link and it is still active. I was surprised to see that Mermaids still have a Lottery Funding logo on their site.

Thanks for alerting on the Dfe removal!.
I hadn't seen that.

Which LAs have removed links and recommendations? This would be useful to know.

this is a letter I started to write if it is useful. it is without the links but I can list them in a post if helpful;

I am emailing you today because I see on your webpage that you signpost to Mermaids

Mermaids is currently being investigated by the Charity Comission, initially for supplying 'breast binders' to children without parental knowledge or consent and for directing children to external chat forums that are not adequately moderated.

The attention on Mermaids has highlighted that they have a number of people within the organisation that are a potential risk to children, which suggests an institutional failure in Safeguarding. This includes Dr Jacob Berscow who was a trustee and an advocate for paedophilia. Also, Darren Mew who is their Digital Engagement officer. I have included screenshots and links which illustrate the problem.

Mermaids also direct children to GenderGP to get puberty blockers which are not prescribed to children in the UK, by GPs. GenderGP is run by Michael and Helen Webberley who have both been under investigation by the British Medical Council for their treatment of children. The former has been permanently struck off for gross misconduct and the latter suspended for causing harm to children. The Webberleys have moved to Spain, I believe, in order to continue to prescribe puberty blockers and cross sex hormones to UK children.

in response to this failure in Safeguarding,
NHS has severed links with Mermaids and the DfE has instructed schools not to recommend Mermaids to pupils. The National Lottery has also suspended funding to Mermaids.

@MalagaNights ...it might be useful to capture them in a concurrent thread, so we have 2 lists?

Girl Guiding have them listed under 'supprt organisations '

Will do!

I haven't found a directive from DfE that we could show to schools?

Did find this though-schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-removes-trans-charity-mermaids-from-school-wellbeing-resources/

If you Google "your county" "school" "mermaids" it will blow your mind how many search results come up. Tens of schools local to me still have these links up.

Anna Freud are still signposting to Mermaids.

www.annafreud.org/contact-us/
www.annafreud.org/media/15018/lgbtqi-mh-booklet-final-270722.pdf

And their associated website: mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/how-do-i-best-support-my-transgender-child-video/?searchTerm=mermaids

Many small independent schools might not signpost directly to Mermaids but they do to this site (which has some excellent resources generally).

The risk is is that all of these agencies flip over to Gendered Intelligence, this is going to be a game of whack-a-mole

"I see that NHS are removing links to Mermaids."

One branch of the NHS(not the NHS in general) made a suggestion its employees don't like to Mermaids in the meantime because of pending complaints.

"National Lottery has stopped their funding to Mermaids."

One payment has been paused because of pending complaints.

Remember nothing has actually been upheld yet.

My child's school has mermaids graphics and details on their LGBTQ+ inclusion board 🙄 . I will get her to check if it's still there.

We can contact our Local Authorities and point them in the direction of that article stating the DofE have removed their sign-posting and ask them to contact all of the education providers in their authority to ask them to do the same.

The question, if they say no, will be, "what is your reason for NOT doing so?"

Other issue is that the LAs don't oversee any of the academies. In my LA there are only a handful of schools that are managed by them (the LA).
So we need to write to the Academies (ie Harris etc), send this right to the top.