Delighted that SWE have dropped the case - and that SarAh is highlighting their shoddy behaviour:
”What does matter, very much, is that the regulator for the social work profession decided to take over 2 years to investigate a social worker for what - I now assume they concede - was the lawful exercise of her protected political speech and manifestation of her protected belief. It is instructive to note that the SW received particular criticism for her concern about the operation of the charity Mermaids - concerns now echoed in the Houses of Parliament and calls for a police investigation.
Social workers have an extremely important role in our society; they are obliged to safeguard vulnerable adults and children. To tell them that any individual, organisation or political ideology is exempt from criticism - and what is worse, that you will risk your job and your professional reputation if you dare - places a wholly unacceptable fetter on a social worker’s safeguarding obligations, a foundation of the profession.
If SWE is not willing now to reflect and clarify its position, and reassure its registrants - and I appreciate that these proceedings were not the arena for that exercise - then I hope it will be soon. Social work is far too important to allow itself to be captured by any one ideology, and particularly not that of ‘gender identity expression’ which puts at risk the dignity and safety of women, and encourages children and young people into irreversible medical interventions, on the basis of very scanty evidence indeed.
The Fitness to Practice hearing was arranged to protect the public and the reputation of the profession. It is ironic that it turned out not to be the SW who should have been under scrutiny, but her captured regulator.”