Weaponising safeguarding in the age of Cass: English social work and paternalism in practice with trans children and young people and their families

2025/12/12 by Rachel Hubbard · 1 voice
Psychology · Social Sciences · #LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy #Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology #Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies

paper · doi:10.1332/20498608y2025d000000114

Abstract

Safeguarding is wielded as a threat to dissuade parents from supporting their trans child. The 2024 Cass Review prompted revision of gender healthcare in the UK, including banning gender-affirming hormonal treatment for trans children and young people (CYP) via the National Health Service outside of a currently unavailable research project and a UK government ban on overseas and private puberty blocker prescriptions. Parents supporting trans CYP to access this treatment were pushed to the legal fringes. English social workers enact duties under the Children Act 1989 to safeguard CYP from harm; however, safeguarding guidance for social workers regarding trans CYP is limited. This article explores the contemporary legal, medical and social landscape for trans CYP and warns of the risks when social workers are uninformed about their experiences, including participating in trans moral panic, paternalism and cisnormativity, departing from anti-oppressive values, and enabling discrimination.

Citations

• Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8
• Othering, peaking, populism and moral panics: The reactionary strategies of organised transphobia

Discussions

• Dr Rachel Hubbard, an expert on social work at the University of the West of England, has published "Weaponizing Safeguarding in the Age of Cass: English Social Work and Paternalism in practice with t [bsky, 29 points, 2 comments]

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