A legal challenge has been launched against the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) over its ‘ideological’ transgender policy.
Former Cafcass family court advisor, Charles Plummer, intends to seek a judicial review after he was removed from his position for not using they/them pronouns when referring to a child in official documents. He argued that doing so would render the key safeguarding documents “incomprehensible”, and called for the policy of using a child’s ‘preferred pronouns’ to be changed.
The claim, submitted alongside Bayswater support group and a third unnamed claimant, also criticises the guidance for saying parents who raise concerns about their child presenting as transgender pose a safeguarding risk.
Ideological capture
The Cafcass guidance states: “Some parents simply do not accept that transgender people exist and carry prejudice and bigotry that they project onto their child.
“In that dynamic, the child cannot be themselves and may become homeless or be abused by the parent or other family members and child protection issues arise.”
Responding to the legal challenge, a Cafcass spokesman said: “The role of the Cafcass officer also includes enabling children to have a voice in and to influence their proceedings.
“This means supporting them to express who they are, what is important and special about them and making sure this is clear in reports and in advice about future arrangements.”
Affirmation only
Plummer said: “Professional practice within child safeguarding requires clear, precise and non-ideological language.”
The former social worker explained: “Cafcass does vital work in helping the family courts to make the best welfare decisions and achieving the best possible outcomes for society’s most vulnerable children.
“However, the guidance as it currently stands does not allow practitioners to exercise appropriate professional curiosity or properly consider the many risk factors that may underlie a child’s presenting gender distress from established child development perspectives.”
He stated: “It’s ‘affirmation only’ for the child, and suspicion for parents who have the same concerns.”
Scotland
In Scotland, the Scottish Care Inspectorate has recently been criticised for its updated guidance which recommends staff wear rainbow lanyards, use preferred pronouns, and signpost children to the controversial lobby groups Stonewall and LGBT Youth Scotland.
Independent social worker Maggie Mellon warned: “The guidance is completely founded on a false ideology without any evidence to support it. The Care Inspectorate is not relying on evidence as it promotes the transition of children in care in Scotland.”
“They haven’t reflected on the Supreme Court or the Cass Review or any other research in terms of what’s good practice.”
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