RM vs Social Work England
Fitness to practice hearing
RM is a social worker who spent her working life in the health and social care sector. She was sanctioned by Social Work England, the regulatory body for social work registration, for speaking up about women's rights during the government’s consultation period on reform to the Gender Recognition Act. Following the sanction by Social Work England she was suspended by her employer Westminster City Council and subject to a disciplinary process. She is at risk of losing her job, her vocational career.
Status
RM is proceeding separately against her professional body, Social Work England (SWE) and her employer. A review hearing on the sanction applied by SWE is scheduled to take place the week of 17 October 2022. A separate employment tribunal is scheduled for December 2022.
On 13 October 2022 SWE indicated that it will not ‘defend’ the case in the review hearing. The hearing has been reduced from 5 days to 2 days. It is uncertain whether the court will allow SWE to simply discontinue or will proceed with the hearing.
The Evidence Based Social Work Alliance (not affiliated with SWE) put out this statement on SWE’s petition to discontinue their defence of the case.
UPDATE: 18th Oct 2022: The 2-day Discontinuance hearing concluded today. RM refused to accept on the grounds SWE proposed. The tribunal will go ahead in December.
The Outcome document can be downloaded here
UPDATE: 23rd Dec 2022: The case, due to be heard in December, has been postponed to 5-12 July 2023. RM is bringing an additional claim of discrimination. More info can be found at her crowdfunder.
Live Tweet Threads
Discontinuation Hearing, beginning 17th Oct, over 2 days:
17 October 2022 - Morning - Submissions on discontinuation from Sarah Philimore, Counsel for RM, and Robin White, Counsel for SWE
17 October 2022- Afternoon - Panel decision.
18 October 2022 - Morning - Panel decision. Hearing concluded.
Abbreviations
DCH - Discontinuance hearing
ICE - Independent case examiner
FTP - Fitness to practice
FTPH - Fitness to practice hearing
Participants:
RM - Social Worker whose FTPH this is
SP - Sarah Phillimore, Barrister for RM
SWE - Social Work England
RW - Robin White, Counsel for Social Work England
C (also Adj) - Chair Gill Mullen
HP - Hearing panel - Jenny Childs, a Layperson (JC) & Rosemary Chapman, a social worker (RC)
AM - Andrew McLoughlin, adviser on FTP rules
Non participants:
MM - Mermaids
FPFW - Fair Play for Women
WPUK - Women's Place UK
Other:
GI - Gender Identity
GC - Gender Critical
BITWB - 'Born In The Wrong Body'
WORIADS - Worthy of respect in a democratic society
E - for 'Echo' - the complainant who complained about RM to SWE
SoC: Statement of Case SoC 7/22: Statement of Case July 2022
SoC 7/10/22: Statement of Case 7th Oct 2022
Press Coverage
Here are links to a selection of relevant press coverage about RM’s case. These links are included without comment and are not endorsed by Tribunal Tweets. This is a sample of coverage only, with most recent first - it is not comprehensive. Please DM our main Twitter account to submit coverage from an established news outlet. Any paywalled article must be archived.
23 Oct 2022
17 Oct 2022
Evidence-Based Social Work Alliance (EBSWA) - Response of Rachel Meade to SWE application to discontinue its case in full
Evidence-Based Social Work Alliance (EBSWA) - Submission in Review Hearing of SWE decision to sanction social worker for gender critical views
13 Oct 2022
Evidence-Based Social Work Alliance (EBSWA) - Social Work England Discontinues Case Against Gender Critical Social Worker
10 Oct 2022
Spiked - Trans ideology has spread far beyond Mermaids
8 May 2022
Graham Linehan Substack - Rachel Meade: The process is the punishment
31 Jan 2022
Social Work News - Social worker sues regulator and employer due to suspension for gender beliefs
30 Jan 2022
Social Work News - Social worker given 12-month warning because of her gender critical beliefs
13 Jan 2022
The Times - Social worker Rachel Meade suspended over gender critical Facebook posts
6 Sept 2021
Evidence-Based Social Work Alliance (EBSWA) - EBSWA response to Social Work England 6th September 2021
24 Aug 2021
Unherd - Social workers risk everything for sharing their views
21 Aug 2021
Spiked - Are social workers allowed to support women’s rights?