How are you feeling today if you work in healthcare or a captured organisation?

[Citrusandginger]

Following the publication of the Cass report?

I'm a senior HCP and have been carefully emphasising the need to record sex medical accurately for months now, and have received, what I take to be, knowing looks and quietly supportive nods in return.

So I'm not out out, but I am sure that people are aware of my views. I'm also certain that I'm not alone.

Looking at social media today, I've seen people from my network posting media articles, but so far no comments.

My hunch is that a lot of us would like to discuss the issues publicly and in our own names, but are still hesitant because the debate is likely to remain toxic for a while, and could still impact our careers (and distress some patients).

Just wondered what other people's thoughts were and what it would take for you to speak out?

Not an hcp but hope that the report gives you all the confidence to at least ask questions:
"in the light of Cass, is is a good idea to have a Pride flag / Global Butterflies training / Stonewall propaganda all over our children's wards, children's outpatients? "
etc

Feeling elated.

But am in a very supportive HCP environment. Hoping it empowers colleagues in other departments in their conversations, choice of language and ability to turn things back towards the sensible.

Almost shocked tbh. I didn't expect to be here.

I work in adult services not paediatric. Given my experience of absolutely zero political engagement of any type in my profession (sample comment 'Oh is there an election today?' when I mention I've been out to vote - and this is an all-graduate team) I'm expecting zero discussion of any type. If there were any, it would be denial of the Cass report having any relevance at all to adult services or to our practice, despite the fact that we will see older trans adolescents and that current young trans adults have been treated like this.

Current leader of the profession is a big cheese in the gender treatment field. I'm expecting an editorial in the professional journal basically saying 'Cass tells us there's not enough evidence, so lots more research grants for me would be ideal' and aiming to shore up the 'bodily autonomy' message and bang the Pride drum. Because we should all be so proud that we as adults created this cultural world for children?

Those are very good questions. One of the challenges ahead for me I think, is how to challenge some of our more affirming partner organisations. I think how do we ensure safeguarding is going to feature heavily in my language in the next few weeks and months.

I work in Ed psychology.
Just a couple of weeks ago our union (association of Ed psychs) sent a dreadful "be kind and affirming" response to the gender identity government guidance to schools, which was immensely disappointing. Tbh seeing how many Ed psychs seem unable to consider data and holistic presentations of youngsters has been disappointing and depressing. The training courses are teaching ideology (one is run by a trans person and at least one other has a speaker). Actually on the ground in my service many Ed psychs get it, especially those working as neurodiversity specialists.

i am hoping that the cool headed engagement of Cass, which she has done brilliantly, will see the tide turn.

As Churchill once noted: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

I expect my higher education organisation to be captured for some time to come. But the Cass report does give some credence to holding the line on certain things.

Oh I'm absolutely expecting wet eyed but-we-must-be-kind pushback from the usual well-meaning but misguided suspects.

I think it will become easier for HCP like myself to hold the line by emphasising our professional responsibility to uphold Cass and safeguard patients and I would hope not to receive vitriol for standing firm. Nonetheless, I expect the charity sector will be hearing lots of reasons why the report is bad and wrong (pink news interviewee earlier was full of but...anecdata).

I have many friends and relatives who are teachers and treading on eggshells, I hope this helps them.

I’m a teacher. I am assuming I’ll still be calling pupils by their chosen name and preferred pronouns (with or without parental consent) as to do anything otherwise will be detrimental to student mental health (in accordance with pastoral policy).

Academic. This pretty much sums up how I feel.

Current leader of the profession [my discipline] is a big cheese in the gender treatment field. I'm expecting an editorial in the professional journal [a public communication] basically saying 'Cass tells us there's not enough evidence, so lots more research grants for me would be ideal' and aiming to shore up the 'bodily autonomy' message and bang the Pride drum. Because we should all be so proud that we as adults created this cultural world for children?

Hopefully the fact that Cass has stated that socially transitioning children without clinical guidance is harmful - so hopefully whoever has written your pastoral policy will be asked to do an immediate rewrite.
Teaching children that they can change sex is harmful.
Schools promoting gender ideology to children are being professionally dangerous. They have no clinical expertise in sex change for children and are engaging in a social experiment that is not supported by evidence.
Assuming you're a secondary teacher, here's details of the psychological harm this causes: that perhaps can now be shared safely?

https://www.transgendertrend.com/teenager-says-theyre-transgender/

Sorry - my last edit lost the link

@MrsOvertonsWindow We have had an Ofsted inspection in the last academic year and awarded Outstanding. Pastoral and safeguarding was one area particularly praised, I really want our policy to change but I’m not hopeful.

I am reflecting again today that the single biggest thing I took for my own practice from Time to Think was the risks of continuing to work in a service that was overwhelmed, and the importance of speaking up. That's not just about GIDS.

I have been watching for institutional change due to recent changes in social discourse. Its limited TBH. Likely Cass review will land with colleagues but my Trust/regulators? not so much.

Couple of weeks ago I got email from NMC equating GC beliefs with veganism..whilst this is a huge turnaround on their previous intolerance for GC talking points.. it was a bit ridiculousto read. That being said fairly certain the NMC would be nowhere to be seen in supporting colleagues with GC beliefs. I left union because they were intolerant and I don't know what their current positions are.

My trust DIE forum refers only to gender not sex (gender identity, gender and sexual orientation) ..this is a relatively new development ( appearing to have attempted to make improvements in the DIE intranet pages). So I'm not optimistic. Although when I fact checked before posting this, i noticed that the photo and profile of the man (assistant DIE lead) who was leading the 'gender' pages is no longer there and the page looks quite different to what it did last week. But it's still firmly gender identity, gender and sexual orientation.

Top link is still stonewall and mermaids not far behind on these specific DIE pages.

We get frequent reminder to consider adding pronouns to badges/email signature and supporting narrative about why this is a good idea. Some do. Most don't.

A month or so ago our trust hosted menopause session for staff. It was delivered by trans man and referred to trans people experiencing menopause too. But no reference to treatment inducing early menopause in children and young adults - or anything useful in terms of being menopausal and holding down work. so that was disappointing.

A snr collague nee of mermaids, hid that association quite some time ago now. I wish he hadn't hidden it , but instead made a repentant statement or some sort of mea culpa. That being said I would probably accuse him of reverse ferreting if he did.

Trust has never recalled our 'this is us' campaign visuals - this is a bring your whole self to work campaign with Banners/screen savers, posters covered in symbology/flags to represent our organisation. Apparently the campaign was informed by staff diversity records. Bear gender flag was/is on the campaign material, gay men are not - which is ridiculous in a healthcare setting.

I'm not massively optimistic . It all feels a bit disingenuous. The trust and healthcare are not being candid, but are rather pulling a rug over what was once quite blatant madness.

I'm an educational psychologist and this is how I'm feeling:
https://x.com/ClaireMcguiggan/status/1778015297833709731

I feel relieved there is now a clear foundation to challenge within the profession and pratice in schools. But the EP response to the school guidance 2 weeks ago was so shamefully activist led, and there was no resposne or push back from the profession, it was horribly revealing.

And as @DrRuthGalloway said the EP training courses are captured as is the BPS is, so I'm pretty despondent about the profession.

I feel contempt for all the child psychologists and EPs who've gone along with this, and who still are.

Brainwashing doctination

I couldn't understand how years ago Lobotomy operations could have been even thought of or consirdered

Seemed unbelievable 😕

Now on know real life is often more weird than ever an imaginative best selling author or film producer 🤔 could ever dream up ...

Those of you who mentioned regulators are right; CQC, OFSTED, NMC and other healthcare regulatory bodies, still have some distance to travel. As do the trade unions.

I suppose there is likely to be some legal cases now which might concentrate minds.

The team I work in spent the day reviewing sen cases in schools and half of them were autistic girls with they/them pronouns.

The team will probably have no time to digest any off the cass stuff because they are so behind on casework they have no time to think.

Change will need to be mandated from above. Hopefully cass is the route to that but it will take a couple of decades to change the practice of EPs and everyone involved in special educational needs sector.

I’m waiting for pronouns to disappear and ‘training’ charities who have been in to indoctrinate staff will be black listed and never darken our door again.

I wonder how the big education law companies are advising Multi Academy Trusts? MATs typically have leadership that shake like a shitting dog unless any decision they make is agreed by an accountant or a lawyer. I know that Stone King who are a leading education firm are full of TWAW millennials who are all about affirmation and rainbows without any balance of other protected characteristics. This may take time to filter through.

I'm a parent currently trying to get our school to revise their RSE policies (which we discovered they updated last summer with no consultation with parents and no notice). That policy includes the line, lifted from KCSIE which Stonewall's CEO Nancy Kelly took credit for lobbying for and inserting, that a child telling a teacher they're trans "is not, in itself" a safeguarding issue and that no one needs to be told unless it would improve the "health or happiness" of that child. Not even the DSL, definitely not the parents. This is a primary school!

I think the Cass Report condemnation of social transition, saying teachers are not clinicians plus the draft schools guidance where the consultation has just closed, gives me enough ammunition to say a) the policy needs to be revised again, but properly this time following parental consultation, and b) that this line above needs to be removed and any disclosure of a child to a teacher about "being trans" needs to be reported to the DSL and to parents unless there is a risk of harm from the parents to the child as a result.

I also want all teaching as gender ideology as fact removed from the PSHE curriculum, or if it is presented, to be clearly identified as a contested ideological position with the opposite position equally presented (that some people don't think gender identity exists). I hope the Cass Report helps me with this too - that this concept should not be presented as fact to children because of the now-identified "schools to clinics" pipeline.

@MrsMurphyIWish I have actually been approached by one of my DCs form teacher privately who asked what I was up to as she had seen me go into a meeting with the Deputy Head - I nervously explained, thinking I might be getting in trouble, and she put up her hand to her mouth, leaned in and hissed "please, don't stop, keep going!!!"

Interestingly @MrsMurphyIWish our school was inspected just 18 months ago by ISI, and their old policy - which made zero mention of gender identity - was highlighted as excellent, no changes needed to that or to safeguarding, and they got an outstanding overall. So I am using that as well: why not stick with the policy you know the inspectors have approved, unless parental consultation told you otherwise?

I work in a charity. That has men’s and women’s specific services. But also has said that transwomen could work in the women’s refuge. Luckily that’s hasn’t happened yet. I know this review isn’t related to that aspect of safeguarding specifically, but I hope that it all helps open up these kinds of conversations without being labeled a transphobe.