Brexit won't help to resolve key social issues faced by working class communities. So is it any wonder why I'm wholeheartedly backing a People's Vote?

Hey folks - I'm back!

It's that time of year again when many of us have been busily settling back into our work routines, figuring out how we're going to improve productivity, coupled with the odd “let's try not to break but ends up getting broken at some point or another New Year's Resolution” thought or two. This year seems more important than ever due to the impending date of our departure from the EU, ever etched in the minds of political folks as the 29^th March although this does now seem subject to change. Things have been heating up at Parliament, with MPs declaring support for the various positions that the UK should proceed in. My own preference is that the electorate be given an opportunity to make the final decision as to whether we accept whatever Brexit deal finally emerges out of Parliamentary discussions (although I have no idea what that deal could actually look like....it's probably not going to be Chequers Improved that's for sure) or reject the deal and decide to Remain in the EU and look to reform its structures (the option for a No Deal Brexit on World Trade Organisation terms needs to be on the table in the interests of fairness of course). The People's Vote campaign has been gradually gaining steam and attracting interest in Leave voting areas, including Lincoln, Mansfield and Sunderland and it's been pleasing to see the photographs of Brexitometers appearing on a weekly basis on Twitter and the accompanying comments about conversations campaigners have had, particularly with voters who declare they are Remainer Now. I'd encourage anyone interested in finding more about some of the personal stories of Remainer Now voters in Lincolnshire to follow the Lincoln for a People's Vote Twitter handle (@LincolnVote) as well as hashtag #LincolnRemainerNow.

What's clear from reading social media messages over the past month is that the People's Vote campaign face a huge challenge of getting working class people in leave-leaning surburban and rural areas proactively engaged in campaigning and buying into the reasons why a People's Vote is an important step in helping politicians to find an effective way forward out of the political stalemate they have found themselves in. Very few of my neighbours living in Birchwood, Lincoln have mentioned Brexit in public and those that have, tend to do so with a mutter of angst, disgust or frustration, depending on how invested they find themselves in the process. Even the Brexiteers of Birchwood, once emboldened by the promises of “taking back control” of Britain's sovereignty and seeing “real” constitutional change are more muted and contemplative. I'm reminded of one articulate gentleman who had told me back in early 2017 that I had nothing to fear from Brexit because leaving the EU would lead to Tory MPs realising they needed to end the austerity measures they had placed on local authorities, has now retreated to a position that only by getting the Tories out will mean Brexit can be fashioned in a socialist way and lead to an end to austerity. It's a subtle shift but it highlights where the real concerns are concentrated. The issues that the working class are facing are not actually due to mismanagement and harsh treatment by the EU towards us, its mismanagement and harsh policies imposed by the Government of the day. Well shit's got real y'all and there is little that seems certain politically.

When I talk to neighbours who voted Leave and Remain and neighbours who didn't vote in the 2016 EU referendum or couldn't vote in the referendum about what changes they want to see happen to improve the quality of their lives, similar comments emerge time and time again. They talk about wages and earning enough to keep a roof over their heads, homes heated and food on the table. If you're on a zero hours contract or only manage to secure less than 16 hours a week at minimum wage, you feel more on edge and uncertain about the future. The Universal Credit reforms introduced thus far have been botched and the effects on people struggling are well documented. I remember reading a Lincolnshire Reporter article in October which reports findings from a survey conducted with Lincolnshire residents dealing with Universal Credit: “Of those who had moved over to the welfare system, 46% of people said they had received help from a food bank. Some 29% had sought assistance from Citizens Advice” (https://lincolnshirereporter.co.uk/2018/10/universal-credit-leaves-many-hungry-in-lincolnshire/). A trainee midwife said that she was being “penalised” for studying and that had left her going into rent arrears. At a time when there are midwifery and nursing vacancies across the NHS (41,000) and more than 7,000 nurses and midwives from the European Economic Area (EEA) have already left the UK since June 2016 (https://www.ft.com/content/8f2d6e22-e7f9-11e8-8a85-04b8afea6ea3) this is just simply not acceptable and it's one reason why I think training bursaries for nurses and midwives need to be made available, so that trainees are not forced to endure financial hardship whilst studying and training for long hours.

Tory Austerity measures are making life harder for working class families and families who have fallen on hard times, whether that be due to being made redundant or a family member not being able to work because of the severity of illness or having to stay at home to care for a sick or disabled relative. Child poverty is becoming ever increasingly visible. I saw a BBC Breakfast interview with Siobhan Collingwood, a Headteacher from Morecambe who stated that 1 in 10 of her school's pupils came from families that had been forced to access a foodbank (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-46827360). Ms Collingwood isn't alone. Teachers from across England have reported that students in their class are coming into school hungry and worried about the mental and physical health of themselves and their family members. Just last month The Guardian reported findings from the National Education Union which found teachers reported “that a lack of food, poor housing and unsuitable clothes are overwhelming pupils and cash-strapped schools”, with 2 in 3 teachers saying that more families of students attending their school were now unable to afford adequate winter clothing compared with just 3 years ago (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/17/many-pupils-in-england-hungry-and-badly-clothed-say-teachers?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other). Child poverty statistics paint a picture of a Britain that is far from being considered fair and equal. The Child Action Poverty Group has compiled a list of statistics (http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/child-poverty-facts-and-figures) which include the following:

• 9 children in a classroom of 30 will be living in poverty
• Children in large families are at a far greater risk of poverty – 42 per cent of children living in families with 3 or more children live in poverty
• By GCSE, there is a 28 per cent gap between children receiving free school meals and their wealthier peers in terms of the number achieving at least 5 A*-C GCSE grades.

Numerous reports have demonstrated how growing up in poverty can affect a child's chances academically and vocationally. This is particularly the case in the North of England. The 2018 Children's Commissioner report” Growing Up North” found that the most disadvantaged students in England are two years behind non-disadvantaged pupils by the age of 16 and less than a quarter of Northerners possess a Level 4 qualification (https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/education/opinion-schools-and-colleges-need-more-investment-1-9533033). Educational inequality has soared on this Government's watch, with 3 out of 10 maintained secondary schools now reporting a financial budget deficit of nearly £500,000 (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/17/many-pupils-in-england-hungry-and-badly-clothed-say-teachers?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other). Recent research conducted by Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central found that independent schools are putting their students through IGCSE's for their EBacc subjects which are found to be less academically rigorous than the new GCSEs introduced by the Conservatives and which students in state schools have to take because access to IGCSEs is being phased out in those schools: in fact 91% of all entries for the EBacc core subjects were in independent schools this year (https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/dec/30/labour-demands-inquiry-into-private-schools-evading-gcse-reform). Labour have quite rightly demanded an inquiry into this and hopefully it may lead to decisive action. Every child has the right to access a comprehensive, challenging academic education regardless of their socio-economic status.

Tackling educational inequality and child poverty should be two of the most important things on any Government agenda, yet instead this one seems utterly obsessed on getting Britain out of the EU and trying to convince folks in Birchwood and many other working class neighbourhoods across the UK that it's the most pressing policy agenda item and that social change will not happen without it. Far Right commentators tell us that social inequality is made worse by “the influx” of migrants that come to live and work in the UK. Perhaps one of the most disturbing things that happened during the Christmas and New Year break was the step up in coverage on illegal migration, with the Government deciding in their infinite wisdom to deem the efforts of a few dozen people coming to the UK illegally via the English Channel (and Mablethorpe) a “major incident”. What absolute claptrap. Ask the folks in Birchwood what they may deem to be a “major incident” or a “national crisis” and you would, I guarantee you, very rarely hear “illegal immigration into the UK” given as an answer. There were 201 confirmed migrant Channel rescues since November 2018 on the British side (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/05/ignoring-difference-legal-illegal-immigration-penalises-migrants/). 201 compared with the situation in Southern Europe in 2015 when more than 10,000 people landed in 1 day in Greece (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/30/uk-migrant-crisis-bears-no-comparison-to-eus-2015-influx). Not exactly a national crisis. I get the importance of distinguishing between legal and illegal immigration for right-wing voters but for me, the UK has to take a compassionate and measured approach by ensuring that people who do attempt the English Channel or North Sea crossings are protected from danger and instead direct more anger towards the people smuggling gangs who are perpetuating those dangerous situations. Nobody can blame people who have experienced economic hardship for many years for wanting to search for a job in a country with better prospects.

Let's talk a little bit more about the Brexiteer argument that migrants are harming the employment prospects and wages of working class people. Contrary to what certain commentators may report, I've only spoken to 3 people in the last year who have expressed a clear concern about immigration along these lines. Most of my neighbours are concerned about keeping their own jobs or actually trying to secure a sustainable job, rather than spending time blaming EU and non EU citizens for the circumstances they have found themselves in. Numerous studies that have been conducted have concluded that immigration has little or no impact on average employment or unemployment of existing workers and where an impact was detected, although a 2018 study by the Migrant Advisory Committee found that “immigration from EU countries during the 34-year period from 1983 to 2017 had reduced the employment rate of the UK-born working age population by around 2 percentage points and increased unemployment by 0.6 percentage points” (https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/the-labour-market-effects-of-immigration/). I believe that the emphasis needs to move away from painting a picture of migrants being in constant competition with British nationals to ensuring that all people have access to the education and training they need to develop skills to access the jobs market and to ensure that employers provide true equality of opportunity for all job applicants. I know that from bitter previous experience, being non-binary trans and having moderate dyspraxia. Figures from November 2018 state that 393,000 people who have disabilities were unemployed and the rate between July and September was 9.3%. People with disabilities have an employment rate that is 30.1 percentage points lower than that of people without disabilities (https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7540). It's interesting that Brexiteers like Jacob Rees-Mogg seem to be perfectly prepared to align themselves who shout slogans like “British Jobs for British People” but never bothers to question why we have such a large employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people, a gap which I believe will not be closed significantly by stricter immigration rules.

I also recommend people share this article written by Aditya Chakrabortty, retelling the employment experiences of Robert, a Romanian who came to the UK to help others but ended up in insecure low-paid work and his experience at Nestlé’s Fawdon plant as an agency worker- an experience which many, British national, EU national or non-EU national would recognise (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/12/myths-migration-stereotypes-insecure-low-paid-work). The far-right are primarily responsible for the perpetuation of stereotypes and fearmongering towards the small number of migrants who try to reach the UK illegally and I feel we need to fight against such fearmongering in a timely and robust manner. Centering the voices of migrants by encouraging and empowering them to craft platforms to speak out such as through blogging or podcasting is one way of doing this.

When I think of “major incidents” and “national crises” I think about what's happening to families and individuals who are being made homeless. The rise in homelessness rates is a national scandal and something the Government should be thoroughly ashamed about allowing the crisis to arise. According to the homelessness charity Crisis, 24,000 people will have slept rough this Christmas, this after an estimated 169% rise in levels of rough sleeping since 2010 (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/20/homeless-deaths-rise-by-a-quarter-in-five-years-official-figures-show). I read a great letter from The Guardian online from Juha Kaakinen, CEO of Y-Foundation, a key organisation which helped devise the Housing First principle in Finland and help young people at risk of becoming homeless finding an affordable place to live. Juha argues that the supply of social housing in the UK has been sufficient and the Government needs to commit to rectifying this now the Homelessness Reduction Act has passed, using the plan created by Crisis. I read the plan last year which I thoroughly recommend: read it in full here: https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/the-plan-to-end-homelessness-full-version/executive-summary/. It includes limiting time spent by individuals and families in temporary accommodation and building 100,500 new social homes a year for the next 15 years to meet the needs of homeless people as well as funding for local authorities to provide a mandatory set of activities to help prevent homelessness, including family mediation and supporting people to keep their tenancies (https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/the-plan-to-end-homelessness-full-version/executive-summary/). Professor Mike Stein, from the University of York (my alma mater) also highlights the fact that there has been 25% increase in deaths of homeless people since 2015, - up to an estimated 600, partly as a result of lack of funding for preventative measures provided by public services (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/20/homeless-deaths-rise-by-a-quarter-in-five-years-official-figures-show). Many of my neighbours, whether they voted to Remain or Leave, are well aware that life is increasingly tough for people in Lincolnshire who find themselves homeless, especially those sleeping rough on our streets or having to navigate the challenges faced as a result of living in temporary accommodation. I believe leaving the EU will not help one jot to alleviate levels of hardship homeless people face. Do not think that money saved from “paying for membership” will trickle down and lead to the building of more homes for the homeless, more services to help improve the mental and physical health of homeless people or the creation of additional jobs. Besides the Conservative Government could have chosen to relieve the burden of austerity measures on our local councils and allowed them to invest in more services. Instead we have to accept for the moment the drips and drabs funding and praise local councils who are trying to do their best under financial strain. One bit of recent good news is that a homelessness hub will open in Lincoln due to funding allocated under the £100m Rough Sleeping Strategy (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46603795) but much more needs to be done long-term to ensure people do not end up falling through cracks in the system and end up back rough sleeping on the streets. That includes access to skills training, secure long-term council housing tenancies and mental health and emotional wellbeing support.

I couldn't do this blogpost without mentioning the concerns people in my area have about the pressures faced by our local NHS trusts, namely United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (ULHT), Lincolnshire Community Health Services (LCHS) Trust and Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (LPFT). I hear far more from my neighbours about waiting times for GP appointments and what they deem to be “unfair” hospital parking charges than I do about whether PM May's deal will lead to us struggling to secure a free trade deal with the US or how the coastline border will be secured. Research conducted by the Nuffield Trust found that people living in the top 10% most deprived areas of England find it harder to secure an appointment with their local GP because “there are markedly fewer GPs per head in poorer areas of England than in richer areas.....There was an average of 1,869 patients on GP lists for each doctor in the most affluent clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), compared with 2,125 in the most deprived” (https://www.ft.com/content/628b25ca-06d1-11e9-9fe8-acdb36967cfc). Emergency admissions are also nearly 30% higher in the 20% most deprived CCGs, compared with the 20% least deprived CCGs (https://www.ft.com/content/628b25ca-06d1-11e9-9fe8-acdb36967cfc). This is partly due to lack of awareness of self-care and prevention strategies for health issues such as smoking and obesity and yet this Government in their infinite wisdom is perfectly happy with presiding over cuts to the Public Health budget by £85m, which “will affect community and prevention services also including ‘stop smoking’ clinics, schemes to tackle obesity, and drug and alcohol misuse services for children and young people.” (https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/government-sneaks-out-ps85m-cut-to-public-health-on-last-day-before-parliamentary-recess_uk_5c1bc9bee4b0407e90785176). Then we need to talk about the current state of our mental health services. A survey of GPs which was commissioned by the youth mental health charity stem4 and undertaken by MedeConnect Healthcare Insight found that 99% of GPs asked said that they feared that patients under the age of 18 would come to some form of harm if they faced lengthy delays in seeing a mental health specialist, with 27% stating that they greatly feared this (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/30/inadequate-nhs-services-put-under-18s-with-mental-health-issues-at-risk). 90% of GPs surveyed also stated that existing health and social care services for under 18s is inadequate, with 37% saying they were extremely inadequate (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/30/inadequate-nhs-services-put-under-18s-with-mental-health-issues-at-risk). This is concerning given numerous studies that have indicated a rise in levels of mental health problems among children and young people. The majority of GPs in this survey reported that they had seen a rise in the numbers of 11-18 year olds diagnosed with anxiety disorders (86%) and yet they say it is “impossible or very difficult for young people to get help with anxiety” (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/30/inadequate-nhs-services-put-under-18s-with-mental-health-issues-at-risk). I wish Parliament was focussing their attentions much more on finding solutions to addressing mental health service provision rather than expending most of their energies on pushing forward with Brexit and having to make provisions to stockpile medicines in the event we leave without any deal with the EU. I mean I'm sure nobody could have foreseen that a form of Brexit that hopefully will never happen has led to the need of the Department for Health to buy 5,000 fridges to store medicines. Not to mention increasing concerns regarding staffing levels in the NHS post-Brexit under the Tories because of the policies outlined in their Immigration white paper. Currently there are numerous hospital staff members who do not earn £30,000 a year: “the starting salary for nurses, midwives and paramedics is £23,000. Junior doctors start at £27,000 while healthcare assistants are at £17,000. Most scientific researchers also earn below the proposed threshold” (https://metro.co.uk/2018/12/19/brexit-migrant-salary-cap-devastating-nhs-schools-experts-warn-8266041/). This on top of the fact that our NHS is short of 107,743 staff overall makes me think how ridiculous it is for those middle and upper class Brexiteer campaigners to crow on about migrants taking jobs British people want to do. I'm all for rises in wage amounts but I very much doubt hospital trusts can afford to raise the salary of a healthcare assistant to £30,000 in one go.

In this blogpost so far I've touched on just a few of the key social issues that we will face as a country in 2019. There are many others I could have mentioned – animal welfare, plastic waste pollution, emergency service strains – ambulances and policing, access to legal aid etc. They are issues that many of us, whether we voted to Remain or Leave in the 2016 EU Referendum care about resolving and issues that will need significant funding and fresh idea generation if we are to address socio-economic inequality. Thus far Brexiteers on the far-right of politics have failed to supply an explanation as to why we must leave the EU in order to tackle systemic socio-economic inequality. Those on the left who define themselves as staunch Brexiteer socialists, aka Lexiteers have tended to put forward arguments that centre around the idea that the EU is somehow deliberately preventing politicians in the UK from putting in place policies that could reduce austerity and lead to greater investment in areas such as Lincolnshire. This is particularly the case when it comes to the question of renationalisation of national infrastructure- i.e. the EU would prevent Labour which favours renationalisation of the railways and the energy production network, from renationalising them, because its rules favour the private sector. The State Aid question has been debated by numerous commentators but I find George Peretz's explanation quite helpful. In particular it was interesting to note that “the UK gives much less state aid per head than most EU countries, under-using the scope that it has within the state aid rules to support (for example) industrial training and regional development.” (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/27/four-reasons-jeremy-corbyn-wrong-eu-state-aid?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other) Yet again another decision taken by the Conservatives not to invest appropriately through having an ambitious Industrial Strategy rather than the fault of the EU. The idea that the EU is some kind of “authoritarian state” and we somehow have to leave it because if we don't we can't then create a truly socially democratic UK sounds a bit far-fetched to me. The rules that have come about as a result of EU membership have, on the whole, been widely accepted without significant critique, other than from the usual quarters. I'm thinking for example, of the recent General Data Protection Regulation which has helped to give individuals more control over how their data is used and retained by organisations- e.g. the right to erasure which “allows individuals to request that personal data be deleted or removed in certain circumstances such as withdrawal of consent or when that data is no longer accurate” (https://blog.centrify.com/consumer-privacy-benefits-gdpr/). Being a member of the EU has meant the Government has had to adopt changes and improve rights and I for one think that's great. So when people complain about EU legislation and regulations being imposed on us, I remember the rules that have been adopted, such as GDPR and The Working Time Directive and how they have and are making a positive difference in our lives. So yeah....EU authoritarian state....what absolute poppycock!

What also gets my goat is how Lexiteers can talk about the EU system being unfair and anti-democratic when we see what our own Parlimentary system is like. How can they honestly say those things with a straight face when we are the ones who still have an unelected House of Lords with hereditary peers and Anglican Bishops being able to have a direct say in our decision making and we have a system which ends up concentrating most of the power in the hands of two parties? I certainly admit that the EU Parliament is far from perfect but maybe we need to consider working on democratising our own Parliamentary system before deciding to mock others for being anti-democratic. On the plus side, if Labour were to be elected in a General Election this year there could be steps taken on long-overdue constitutional reform, not least lowering the voting age to 16 and potentially introducing a referendum on Proportional Representation (I know, “Not Another One”). Such moves would do a lot more to work towards crafting a more modern democratic system than leaving the EU. Mind you, some Lexiteer socialists will just dismiss me as a “neoliberal” or a member of the “metropolitan elite” and consequently dismiss such concerns. It's amazing to think how people on low incomes can be so easily labelled as being members of “The Establishment” these days if they disagree with leaving with the EU and are prepared to do so publicly. Well let me tell you, resurrected eurosceptic Benniteism isn't going to win me or other working class liberal left Labour voters over (yes we do exist!!). 

Instead, I think the focus needs to be on outlining a positive, progressive vision for the UK that aims to address social issues. It's the biggest challenge that a campaign for Remain during a People's Vote referendum needs to overcome. People know that we don't want to Leave the EU but what are we going to offer to improve the lives of voters in Mansfield, Redcar, Lincoln and Preston so that those voters would be sufficiently satisfied to vote for that Remain vision. Commentators and MPs have begun to outline such visions. For example, Zoe Williams in her Guardian article states that “A positive vision for the future needs solid answers to urgent questions: climate change, austerity, the erosion of workplace rights, the rise of fascism. All of these feed into one another to create a sense of precariousness and threat, and all solutions involve cooperation across borders. The new remain movement must articulate a future in which opportunities and freedoms expand rather than retract, citizens’ rights ratchet upwards in a race to the top, revivified unions support one another internationally, a green new deal echoes across multiple governments, racism is answered robustly and migration celebrated, and the dreams of the EU’s founders – peace, reconciliation, solidarity, equality – are rediscovered.” (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/23/labour-remain-jeremy-corbyn-brexit). Such a vision encapsulates much of what I believe and there is a lot of policies within the current Labour manifesto that could be adapted- I'm thinking introducing three year tenancies in private sector as standard, safeguarding homeless shelters, scrapping the draconian bedroom tax for starters. I want to see those policies enacted, but I fear it will be more difficult to enact them outside of the EU.

Brexit is neither necessary nor will benefit working class communities. The core systemic social issues that need addressing will not be addressed by a Conservative Government pushing through Brexit in any form, particularly a No Deal Brexit that could lead to further perpetuation of the Austerity Agenda. Once PM May's deal has been voted down in the House of Commons and the vote of no-confidence has failed, I hope more Labour MPs in particular will join the People's Vote campaign and push for the Final Say on any final deal PM May or other Tory leader manages to cobble together. If not, then I hope MPs realise that working class constituents will need their help more than ever as the country deals with any potential economic turbulence resulting from Brexit.

Dyspraxia, Self-Confidence and Me

Being blessed with “the gift” of a moderate form of dyspraxia has meant and still means having to navigate the challenge of social engagement and getting my use of language on-point. When I was younger I used to be quite shy when in a group scenario, especially at school because I was afraid of saying the wrong thing or using incorrect grammar. I have been known to swap words around in a sentence and adding fillers into my speech when not really necessary, usually to allow my brain some time to bring a conversation back on topic. Using the same adjective or adverb several times during the course of a conversation is a defence or coping mechanism for me- a way of indicating I have understood what has been said by an interlocutor or a way of eliciting a response without being too overt about it. “Absolutely” seems to be one of my favourite go-to adverbs to demonstrate my understanding of a topic or agreement with a statement. When used alongside a low pitch/tone of voice and affirmative facial expressions and eye-contact it can be way of sounding confident even when you may not feel confident inside.

My level of self-confidence, as I've blogged about countless times has been up and down. It can be affected by negative conversations and being put into uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations: for example, if I'm talking to a group of young people about a topic I have knowledge of and passion for- like raising awareness of dyspraxia, I tend to feel less tense, less needy of crutch words and behaviours and more able to structure sentences to get my point across. However, when I am speaking to a group of high-powered professionals, who may not have much understanding of neurodiverse conditions or may have expectations of listening to a flawless presentation (or at least how I perceive flawless to be, as no presentation ever happens without incident), I have been known to get tongue-tied, avoid eye-contact and nervous for the questions that follow.

Young people with dyspraxia, otherwise known as Developmental Coordination Disorder or DCD for short regularly experience dips in self-confidence as a result of engaging in presentation delivery. Pratt and Hill (2011) conducted research with young people with DCD and found that they “experience high levels of ‘panic anxiety’ when faced by a task that they have previously found challenging (Pratt and Hill 2011), leading to avoidance behaviour” (https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Dyspraxia-Mental-Health-Consultation-March-2016.pdf). I found speaking about scientific subjects much more difficult than talking about poetry, prose or plays in the first years of secondary school so I would try and avoid taking part in class discussions in Science, Technology, ICT, Maths and Graphic Design by taking notes and avoiding eye-contact with the teacher. When I was asked to deliver a presentation I would use the PowerPoint presentation I created as a prop to keep my speech on track but I'd often digress onto different subjects, which must have been quite frustrating for some of my peers! Thanks to working with my English, Drama and Modern Foreign Language teachers I managed to build my self-confidence to the point where I could speak without being prompted but the digression element really hasn't gone away! The extra effort required to get to that point was draining and I never would have managed it without tailored support and my parents and friends willing me on. This feeling of being overwhelmed seems to be quite common amongst children and young people with DCD: Missiuna, Moll et al (2007) found that parents of children with DCD have reported that their children have felt overwhelmed “because of the expectations and work required of them and ‘mask’ their problems by putting in extra effort so that that their difficulties weren’t noticed” (https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Dyspraxia-Mental-Health-Consultation-March-2016.pdf).

Anxiety has been a mental health concern that has dominated much of my life. I get anxious over the most silliest of things – if I forget a pen to make notes at a meeting I'm worried about forgetting everything at that meeting and if I don't note nearly everything down I think I'm going to forget what was said or misinterpret it and upset someone. I'm perpetually worried about missing buses and trains and tripping up on the steps or getting stuck in the door. Fear of getting the wrong bus or train or missing the last train or bus has meant I am more reluctant to attend events outside Lincoln alone.

I've thought so many times that I'm blocking everyone's way by standing awkwardly or sitting in the wrong place and when I do get something wrong I can focus my attention on reflecting on that action for far longer than is necessary. I don't want to feel like a burden but when you've felt like you are being a burden to others you care about for so long, it's difficult to shake that feeling off. It makes you feel like shit and it's in those moments you need to have friends and family around to talk to.

I experienced social isolation throughout my teenage years and young adulthood, partly as a result of not having been pro-active and going out to clubs, taking part in leisure activities and joining societies, partly as a result of socio-economic circumstances and the stigma associated with that (I think Universal Credit advisors need to continue to promote volunteering, participation in job clubs and taking part in free events in the local area to challenge that sense of self-stigmatisation) and partly as a result of fearing what circumstances I could have found myself in. I have been fortunate to meet some amazing, non-judgmental folks over the past few years but it's been a hard journey. Young dyspraxic people living in rural Lincolnshire must have found and continue to find it tougher to engage in social activities due to public transport issues and/or socially conservative attitudes of their parents, guardians and carers and I do worry about overall levels of youth social isolation and loneliness. Social media plays it part in keeping young people connected and there are YouTube videos and stars that young people can turn to for advice and guidance for when they do feel lonely but I've met young people who still feel incredibly lonely. One young guy I met who is dyspraxic felt that he couldn't meet up and play football with his schoolmates because he didn't want to be judged for not being able to catch the ball (he said he often finds himself put in the goalie position at school so that he doesn't “wander all over the place” or “slow the game down”). Teachers, pastoral care staff, professionals with knowledge of neurodiverse conditions and parents, guardians and carers all have a role to play in reducing social isolation and improving inclusion of neurodiverse young people in sports and creative activities. This includes teaching young people about neurodiversity in Science and in PSHE lessons. The Dyspraxia Foundation undertook a Youth Mental Health Consultation back in 2016 and the report found that young people with dyspraxia often felt that lack of understanding about dyspraxia “added to their sense of feeling different” (https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Dyspraxia-Mental-Health-Consultation-March-2016.pdf). If young people understand to some extent what their peers with dyspraxia are going through, the anxiety they face and the extra effort they put in to participate, they may adapt slightly the sports and creative activities they engage in (e.g. slowing down the football game slightly or reminding their friend to bring pen and pencil grips for drawing) so they can be inclusive.

When I was growing up I never knew anyone who had been diagnosed with dyspraxia as early as me (I was diagnosed initially aged 6 following consultation with educational psychologists and following an referral by my primary school psychologist). Nobody openly discussed having dyspraxia and I never read about anyone who was dyspraxic or saw anyone on TV or in films who said they were dyspraxic. It was almost like it was a condition you had to avoid talking about for fear of being singled out. I really hope that will change in the future, with more fictional book, TV and film characters being created who happen to be neurodiverse and with more documentaries being produced on neurodiverse conditions and I'd be more than happy to give advice on this (wink wink, nudge nudge shameless plug).

Even when I was at mainstream secondary school and no longer needed a SENCO or Occupational Therapist to support me on a daily basis I felt different. At times during Year 7 and 8 I felt like I didn't belong in the school at all; that somehow my acceptance had been a fluke and that I consistently and consciously had to show grateful thanks to the teachers for allowing me to have a space and pretty much take on board what they said as gospel truth. I remember my Mum telling me that my Year 7 RE teacher said that my chances of getting a Grade C in English and Maths at GCSE (Grade 4/5 nowadays) was pretty much non-existent let alone getting one in RE and yet through sheer hard graft and hours and hours of studying after-school I ended proving him wrong, getting my A* in English Lit and RE and going on to study both alongside English Language, French, German and General Studies at A-Level and then studying English and Philosophy at the University of York. Believe me, with tailored support and the determination to succeed, you can achieve. I still think of Mr Year 7 RE teacher with a wry smile and utter a “you were wrong” under my breath. I really try not to gloat or revel in other people's mistaken beliefs but sometimes I just can't help it. We're only human after all.

As the years went on I began to realise that what made me different was far more than my dyspraxia and my gender and actually that it was OK to be seen as different, as unique. The anxiety was still there, I was still pretty much socially isolated outside the school grounds and yet there was a rebellious sense of freedom I could latch onto. These days I am much more attune to and revel in my rebelliousness because it's a refusal to conform to gender expectations and semantic structure expectations. I wear what I want within the confines of the law and I accept that I won't be the Jacob Rees-Mogg type of rhetorical speaker (Thank God!) I can own my own truth, try and phrase things in the way I know how and happily invite others on the journey with me. Being a confident communicator means embracing semantic and grammatical differences. If someone uses “and” to start a segment of lecture once in a while....it may not be seen as “Standard” English but so what! Being a confident listener means embracing the challenge of understanding different modes of speech delivery; if a young person uses “Absolutely” 10 times during the conversation because they may happen to be nervous about meeting you for the first time...No Big Deal! Listen to the overall content of the conversation and appreciate how much effort that young person may have made to come and talk to you in the first place.

I hope that more young people with dyspraxia will receive the support they need, especially with regards to reducing levels of anxiety and social isolation. It starts with professionals being open to finding out more about neurodiverse conditions.

There are several ways of finding out this information :

• Accessing websites run by specialist organisations containing information and advice on supporting young people with dyspraxia- e.g. Dyspraxia Foundation - http://www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/
• Reading textbooks and guides published by experts working with neurodiverse young people-
  • Understanding Dyspraxia – A Guide for Parents and Teachers by Maureen Boon (https://www.jkp.com/uk/understanding-dyspraxia-2.html)
  • Caged in Chaos by Victoria Biggs about her life as a dyspraxic teenager (https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/shopping/product/books/caged-in-chaos-a-dyspraxia-guide-to-breaking-free/)
  • Can't Play Won't Play by Sharow Drew and Elizabeth Atter which contains a number of strategies to encourage children with dyspraxia to engage in physical activities through socialising
    (https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/shopping/product/books/cant-play-wont-play/)
  • Discover Yourself by Gillian Dixon – a book aimed at primary school students to help them understand more about dyspraxia
    (https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/shopping/product/books/discover-yourself/)
• Booking training on dyspraxia and other neurodiverse conditions delivered by qualified and experienced professionals
  • Dyspraxia Foundation may have funded training sessions available or they can be approached to deliver training sessions in schools/colleges/universities/workplaces
  • Dyspraxia UK has training sessions for teachers and teaching assistants and occupational therapists (https://www.dyspraxiauk.com/generalinformation.php)
• Booking professionals onto online CPD training courses
  • AC Education has an online course in Understanding Dyslexia and Dyspraxia (https://www.ac-education.co.uk/online-course/understanding-dyslexia-dyspraxia/)
  • Communicate-ed, a specialist education training organisation offers an online course specifically on supporting students with dyspraxia (https://www.communicate-ed.org.uk/courses/supporting-students-with-dyspraxia).

Young people with dyspraxia can be some of the wittiest, academically bright young people around. By understanding some of the challenges they face, like dealing with unfamiliar social situations, professionals can offer the right amount of support for those young people to cope whilst empowering them to pursue their aspirational goals. To young people reading my blog, I say this: you can and will achieve great things. Reach out when you think you need additional support. Never give up and remember it's OK not to be OK sometimes. You know what's best for you.

Confidence(ish), Progress and Hope

Gosh it seems like an age since I wrote my last blogpost! Time flies by when your diary and/or reading list is full to the brim. I can't really complain: I've met with many interesting and intelligent people who share my passion for creating a more equal, inclusive society through delivery of progressive policies and social action projects. One thing I can say for definite is that our young people in Lincolnshire have a plethora of genuinely game-changing ideas to share with the world and it's important, now more than ever, to do what we can to help cultivate platforms for them to share such ideas. It shouldn't matter what a young person's socio-economic circumstances happen to be- if they have something engaging and thought-provoking to say, they should have a space where they can express themselves openly and frankly and a space where they can listen to others doing the same thing, in the hope they collaborate and bring transformative ideas to life.

I wish I had had more opportunities to build the self confidence I needed to express my thoughts and share my ideas out of the school environment. I think my teachers and peers appreciated the contributions I did make in lessons like PSHE and Religious Studies but I never felt comfortable with the mechanics of it all. I guess I felt partly judged but also that I didn't want to be seen to be hogging the limelight or wasting my peers' time. When you are seen as a bit of a social outcast or the “weird one”, it can make you feel like you have to be quieter, so that you don't draw more attention to yourself than the attention sought of you by the teacher. The reality of the situation may be completely different to your perception of it- peers may be feeling nervous themselves and would love to hear someone being bold and being prepared to share thoughts with them to help spark conversations, especially when challenging conversations need to be had in the classroom. The Heads Together Mentally Healthy Schools page states that anxiety can become an issue for students when “their fear or worry seems out of proportion to the problem, it leads to unhelpful and unrealistic thoughts about themselves and others and/or when it interferes with their ability to take part in activities” (https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/mental-health-needs/the-anxious-or-worried-child/). I certainly felt overwhelmed by social situations at school and whilst I was never without friends, it wasn't easy to engage in ordinary school activities. There were times when I found it difficult to concentrate, especially as exams neared and there was many a time when I'd come back from secondary school in floods of tears having received a module report, parent's report or exam grade and feeling like I'd not done well enough, even though the majority of my effort grades over the 7 year period I was there were in the A-C range. My parents or teachers never felt that I ever needed specialist pastoral support and some of my teachers thought as long as I was doing reasonably well in their subject “I would pull myself together” before the exams and pass them and then be less anxious as a result. Perhaps they didn't fully understand how emotionally draining it was for me, to cope with expectations, to over challenges I faced as a result of dyspraxia and my body confidence issues. As for my gender, they just had no real clue or at least they didn't want to be vocal about it. Maybe I should have spoken up more and said how I was feeling. I got through school life but it was hard at times.

So you see some young people will never feel like they can be completely themselves at school and that's why fostering spaces for discussion outside the school environment can be vitally important.

The tentativeness approach to life that took hold at school seemed to ebb away at the University of York. I felt freer to be more myself...maybe it was because I met more folks who seemed like me – dyspraxic, gender stereotype breakers, feminists, shopaholics (I do love a charity shop vintage clothing or jewellery bargain and still frequent them today) but even when at my most uninhibited, I still felt I couldn't be entirely expressive of my opinions in Philosophy seminars. It was really strange that I could quite easy lead a seminar on discussions of gender identity and stereotyping and breaking Regency social mores in Jane Austen's work but didn't feel confident to discuss the differences between dualism and monism in the philosophy of mind (Descartes vs Spinoza....worth looking up if you have the time and inclination: https://psychologenie.com/dualism-vs-monism-in-philosophy). It was partly a fear of being seen as lazy if I got some element of the theory argument wrong (in English Literature it was more about remembering historical dates where my long-term memory doesn't seen to desert me) and partly because I never saw myself as a capable debater or philosopher...unsurprisingly this is still pretty much the case today. I enjoyed more listening to the views of my peers in philosophy seminars so would only contribute when required/prompted by the tutor and then came the slipping up of words, the tentativeness, the uneasiness and the patronising/sympathetic looks and nitpicky comments, usually from the ex public schoolboys who chose Philosophy because they thought it was a “liberal conservative chic” subject to take and they'd probably have a cushy job or internship to look forward to. Alright for some I guess. I'd smile back but it was a front to mask my anxiety, my fear of having to bear being subject to the charge of being inane. Being arcane has it's advantages but fear of being inane is one cross you seem to have to bear, especially if you're a dyspraxic student. Thank God I could escape to the local Cat's Protection charity shop for a natter with the local manager who literally gave the best and most frank life advice ever: “Wear your craziest 80's leggings to the next seminar and show you don't give a f**k about their patronising tone” she said once. I did....and I said what I thought to the bitchy ex public schoolboys and yes, it made me feel a million times better. Self-care is so important. Sometimes you just have to rebel. Suffice to say my tutor for the course was quite taken aback by it all. But then she was a social conservative and I don't think she or any of the liberal Tories in that group had met someone like me. Learning experiences are good for all concerned, regardless of background so I hope it helped them in some way....well they may know what 80's leggings look like. That's a start...

After uni, I became more withdrawn and felt more and more my views and the ideas I espoused didn't really matter. This week the Social Housing Green paper was released and in it there was a chapter dedicated to talking about social stigma faced by social housing tenants. All of the engagement events conducted with residents as part of putting the paper together included discussions about social stigma. The paper highlights research conducted by Shelter earlier this year which found that “24% of families in social housing feel looked down on because of where they live, compared with only 8% of families who are private renters or homeowners” (https://england.shelter.org.uk/media/press_releases/articles/shelter_launches_new_social_housing_commission). It's interesting how the Tory Government now seem more willing to state they need to recognise the contributions made by social housing tenants towards improving community cohesion. They need to do far more to “value the diversity of residents in social housing-from the most vulnerable who need support, to the majority of adult residents working and those supporting vital services like the NHS” (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733605/A_new_deal_for_social_housing_web_accessible.pdf). That means changing perceptions with social housing tenants leading the way by telling their stories and sharing their ideas for such change.

I can tell you from personal experience there are folks who are in HR and Recruitment roles in Lincolnshire who can have an bias against applicants from certain areas where social housing is prevalent. This bias is often not expressed in words but is noticeable through changes in vocal tone and body language. You can have all the qualifications you need to enter a career sector but if they take one look at your address and make an assumption, that's it.....they'll exchange pleasantries, ask the questions they need to ask to fill in their sheets but come selection process time, you just know they'll find the excuse not to hire you. It's the quiet tut, the glancing of eyes or avoidance of eye contact that gives such people away. It's disheartening, it can make you less willing to be open and it can put young people off from applying for jobs in certain sectors.

I've met numerous young jobseekers who have been long-term unemployed who are engaging, passionate about particular issues (e.g. reducing homelessness and improving the housing sector) but who feel like they never get a chance to air their views and showcase their ideas and even when they do get a rare chance, they never feel like they've not been listened to by those they perceive to be in positions of power. I believe we need to do far more as a society to provide meaningful engagement opportunities and provide funding to encourage those who share their ideas to test them through the creation of social action projects. Grassroots self-improvement projects will help participants to build their self-confidence, improve communication and interpersonal skills and give them a chance to shape their own future path. Some of the people deemed “hardest to reach” by professionals have the most interesting ideas and rather than taking a restrictive, punitive approach with them or mollycoddling them, let them take charge of their destinies through creating their own volunteering social action projects and for goodness sake ensure they have money to be able to follow through with it.

I'm very lucky to now be in a position where I can begin to work with young people from low-income backgrounds, young people with low-level mental health conditions like social anxiety, young people who are experiencing long-term unemployment (NEETs) as well as young people who feel like they are social outcasts from urban and rural areas of Lincolnshire. All have the potential to come up with transformative, progressive ideas and I want to work with them to co-curate a platform they can access and contribute to to share those ideas. This will be done in a multitude of ways and I, for one, am excited at what progress could be achieved. My own passion for writing has been continually renewed and inspired by daily conversations, long and short. I'm beginning to feel more confident once again about speaking in public too, which is a positive development and who knows, I may be speaking at events across the country one day, sharing my own thoughts and those of others who have a progressive, hopeful vision for their communities and for the UK as a whole. I may still be tentative Matti at heart, but I'm growing in knowledge, experience and awareness every day and I'm really grateful for that.

National LGBT Survey Analysis: Education

Schools, colleges, universities, training centres and other educational establishments should be places where everyone feels safe and supported by staff, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Yet report after report has shown that LGBTQIA+ staff and students do not always feel comfortable being in such settings. The much quoted Stonewall School Report 2017, conducted in partnership with the Centre for Family Research based at Cambridge University highlighted that despite noticeable decreases in overall levels of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools, there is still a worrying prevalence of transphobic language and bullying and lack of awareness of differing gender identities in general. There are a number of shocking statistics that stood out: 9% of trans students surveyed for the Stonewall School Report 2017 stated they had been subjected to death threats, 84% had said they had self-harmed at some point and 45% had considered taking their own lives (https://www.stonewall.org.uk/sites/default/files/the_school_report_2017.pdf).

A survey conducted by Dr Catherine Lee, head of education and social care at Anglia Ruskin University earlier this year which had 105 responses found that 46% of LGBT+ teachers working at village based schools had taken time off from work because of anxiety or depression brought on as a result of lack of acceptance of their sexual orientation; the figure for teachers based in urban areas was only 5%. Also 40% of rurally based teachers felt their sexual or gender identities had been a direct barrier to accessing promotional opportunities. 30% of teachers had left a role at a village school because they had experienced homophobia, whereas the figure for teachers based in towns and cities was 17%. (https://schoolsweek.co.uk/rural-lgbt-teachers-have-worse-mental-health/). Another survey, conducted for the NASWUT found that 50% of teachers who are LGBT+ felt their school wasn't a safe place to be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The National LGBT Survey asked a number of questions relating to educational experiences, with responses coming from 16 and 17 year olds still in secondary school/sixth form as well as teachers currently based in schools and colleges. 36% of respondents to the survey had been in education in 2016/17, including 98% of respondents aged 16-17 and 64% of those aged 18-24 (p.109).

Many of the responses to the questions reflect concerns already expressed but I feel it's important to explore a number of them in depth to bring home the importance of ensuring educational settings are a place of safety and which nurture a feeling in students and staff alike for celebrating the diversity of human relationships and experiences:

• Respondents who had expressed at the start of the survey that they had a “minority gender identity” (i.e. trans, non-binary, genderqueer, agender etc) were asked a question about how understanding their teachers had been of issues facing trans, gender fluid and non-binary students. Only 13% reported that their teachers and staff had been very understanding or somewhat understanding, and 68% said they had been not very, or not at all, understanding. (p.103) 50% of respondents aged 16-17 and 67% aged 18-24 said that their teachers and other school staff had been not very, or not all, understanding of gender issues (p.103)
• 918 respondents to the National LGBT Survey talked about Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) - “the broader concept of better education in schools regarding sexual orientation, gender identity and being LGBT was the most discussed topic” and when respondents talked about sex education, a number stated that “it is, or was, in their own experience heteronormative, with little-to-no information on any LGBT-specific education about sex and related topics” (p.105). This demonstrates the need for RSE guidance to be LGBTQIA+ inclusive and written by experts who have experience of discussing and researching (and being in) LGBTQIA+ sex and relationships. Knowledge is power, after all!
• 50 respondents to the National LGBT survey talked about the need to discuss LGBT+ history in schools, especially the fight for rights (p.106): this could include lessons on Section 28, the Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners group and the passing of legislation in Parliament.
• Respondents who had reported they were in education stated more often than not that they had not been open with teachers and support staff- 53% of all respondents had not been open with teachers and 61% had not been open with non-teaching staff (p.110).
• 41% of trans respondents had not been open with teaching staff – non-binary respondents were more likely not to be open than trans women and men (p.116). 57% of asexual trans respondents were not open with their teaching staff.
• 18% of respondents who reported they were asexual had not disclosed their sexual orientation to their classmates.
• Only 1.3% of respondents had experienced only negative reactions from others when they disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity but 31.2% had experienced both positive and negative reactions from others when disclosed
• 21% of respondents who had had experienced mixed reactions to disclosure at school, college or university during the 2016/17 academic year said disclosure had happened without their explicit consent and 19% “received verbal harassment, insults or other hurtful comments” (p.118)
• Over 1,200 respondents had mentioned bullying within education in their survey responses: “There was a consensus that the bullying of LGBT people is still common in schools, and that more could be done by government and schools to tackle it” (p.119).
• 88% of incidents perpetrated against respondents who were in education during the 2016/17 year were perpetrated by fellow students but 9% were perpetrated by teachers or other teaching staff (p.120)
• 11% of incidents of sexual harassment or violence against trans students were perpetrated by teachers and other teaching staff (p.120)
• 83% of the most serious incidents that respondents had indicated had taken place had not been reported by themselves or anyone else (p.121)
• 56% of respondents who had not reported the most serious incident said it wouldn't have been worth it and 37% said it would not have been taken seriously by staff or police (p.122)
• 77% of those whose incident was reported to an LGBT organisation or charity said that they had found them very or somewhat helpful, and 66% of those whose incident was reported to parents/guardians had found them very or somewhat helpful (p.124)
• After incidents had been reported, only 13% of respondents who had reported incidents said that the “negative comments or conduct in question had stopped completely (p.124)
• Catholic schools were particularly cited as being places which are “unsupportive” and respondents noted the lack of appropriate LGBTQIA+ RSE in those schools
• 16 responses were received in relation to being LGBTQIA+ and having special educational needs: “respondents noted that the intersectionality of having special educational needs and being LGBT could be a very difficult experience, in that people may conflate the two, or may not sufficiently understand either” (p.127). This indicates a need for more comprehensive guidance and support for staff supporting LGBTQIA+ students with special needs so they do not conflate and resort to use of stereotypes.
• 170 responses were from LGBTQIA+ teachers: more than 1 in 5 have been outed, a third have had a negative reaction from others towards them after disclosing their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, 6% have been excluded from events held in their educational establishments and more worryingly, 9% of the most serious incidents in school/college were perpetrated by their colleagues (read more here: https://www.tes.com/news/one-five-lgbt-teachers-outed-school)

The statistics outlined above paint a mixed picture of educational establishments across the country. It's important to make it clear that there are schools out there who have taken on board measures to improve LGBTQIA+ equality. Getting the basics right makes the biggest difference to the emotional wellbeing of trans, non-binary, gender-fluid, genderqueer and agender students:

• Ensuring anti-bullying policy and procedures include references to stamping out transphobic language and bullying by ensuring staff know what their responsibilities are in reporting and disciplining students who have perpetrated such acts
• Ensuring disciplinary and grievance procedures include reference to homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying, harassment and discrimination (with reference to the Equality Act 2010)
• Ensuring administrative procedures for updating the name and title marker for students and staff are made clear to teaching and support staff
• Ensuring ALL staff have received basic gender and sexual orientation awareness training from qualified and experienced professionals
• Marking awareness days, weeks and months in school, including LGBT Awareness Month (February), School Diversity Week (July) and Transgender Day of Remembrance (20^th November)
• Scheduling time in PSHE and RSE lessons to talk about LGBTQIA+ equality, relationships (sexual and otherwise) with students in a clear and non-patronising manner
• Embedding lessons on LGBT+ role models and issues across the National Curriculum
• Providing information to students about access to facilities, including toilets and changing rooms
• Engaging with educational organisations including Educate & Celebrate and Just Like Us
• Signposting students to local, regional and national LGBTQIA+ organisations, including Mermaids, Gendered Intelligence and Stonewall.

The situation for trans, non-binary, gender-fluid, genderqueer and agender students in a school will only improve when there is supportive leadership in place to garner the support from staff, parents, guardians, cares and governors needed to enact the measures. This is particularly the case for faith schools in more conservative, rural parts of England where there may not yet be any openly trans, gender-fluid, genderqueer and agender students or staff. Guidance documents such as the Church of England's Valuing All God's Children can help to further the argument towards celebrating diversity which goes beyond mere tolerance (https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/Valuing%20All%20God%27s%20Children%27s%20Report_0.pdf). The guidance includes Anti-Bullying and Equality and Diversity policy templates which can be adapted for use. Books such as How to Transform Your School into an LGBT+ Friendly Place written by Dr Elly Barnes MBE and Dr Anna Carlile of Goldsmiths University of London, Department of Educational Studies can also help to provide the practical information and guidance needed for headteachers, teachers and pastoral care teams to implement positive change (there's a great section on awareness days, weeks and months for example). Department for Education guidance, issued on an ongoing basis are must-read documents: for example, they just updated the guidance for schools by creating a document on gender separation in mixed schools (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/719398/Gender-separation-guidance.pdf). One has to acknowledge that there will always be a small but vocal minority of Christians and people of other faiths who advocate denying the existence of different sexual orientations and gender identities but through increasing awareness and training, their potency which they use to control the overall conversation on gender and sexuality for others will begin to evaporate and LGBTQIA+ equality will advance further.

The findings of the National LGBT Survey with regards to education do not shock me. I had little exposure to LGBTQIA+ issues and did not learn about the fight to gain LGBTQIA+ rights at primary or secondary school. I knew a few openly LGBT classmates at secondary school and noticed the homophobic, biphobic and transphobic language most of us were subjected to whilst feeling that such language was unwarranted and affected our self-confidence. I think only one of us was out to teachers and they didn't really know how to support us other than to encourage our academic talents. My secondary school wasn't a bastion of hate but I certainly wouldn't exactly call it a haven of LGBTQIA+ awareness and tolerance either.

I hope that as the years progress and the push for improved rights for trans, non-binary, gender-fluid, genderqueer and agender people gathers steam, whilst LGBTQIA+ inclusive RSE is introduced as part of the PSHE curriculum, that more students and staff feel they can be authentically themselves whilst at school.

Why responding to the Government's Relationships and Sex Education Consultation matters

On Tuesday 19th December 2017, Justine Greening, Secretary of State for Education and Women and Equalities made the announcement that there will be a consultation to help shape the content of the soon-to-be statutory Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) Programme of Study guidance (RSE which will be taught in all schools (maintained, academies and independent) in England from September 2019 (Children and Social Work Act 2017 places a "statutory duty" on Ms Greening "to make Relationships Education compulsory in all primary schools and Relationships and Sex Education mandatory in all secondary schools" (https://consult.education.gov.uk/life-skills/pshe-rse-call-for-evidence/consultation/subpage.2017-12-01.1723463910/). Key stakeholders, including parents and young people have been invited to offer their views on a number of topics including online safety, sexual harassment and LGBTQ+ issues. I believe this a fantastic opportunity for trans non-binary people to submit our suggestions as to how to make RSE more inclusive going forward. I've been talking about the need for LGBTQIA+ inclusive RSE for a while, and have blogged on its importance here: (https://sassysvensknorsk.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/lgbtqia-sex-and-relationships-education.html).  I'm far from being the only person making this call. Hannah Kibirige, Director of Education and Youth at Stonewall mentioned in her blogpost for Huffpost "Why We Should All Care About LGBT-inclusive Relationships and Sex Education" Stonewall research which has shown that just "one in six LGBT young people have been taught about healthy same-sex relationships", with LGBTQIA+ young people finding themselves using the Internet to access LGBTQIA+ inclusive RSE information and advice, which can be at times "unreliable, and sometimes unsafe" (http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/why-we-should-all-care-about-lgbt-inclusive-relationships-and-sex-education_uk_5a3a9e25e4b06cd2bd03d72a). Rosa Simonet, writing in The Mancunion, early in December 2017 revealed the results of an anonymous survey conducted by the organisation which found that RSE (or SRE) was " criticised as being too heteronormative, with students complaining they had been given little to no information about safe sex for lesbians or other members of the LGBTQ community" (https://inews.co.uk/opinion/children-taught-sex-ed-age-four-11/). Bridie Forrester, Communications Secretary of the University of Manchester's LGBTQ society made some pertinent comments in the article: "the effect of cisnormative, heteronormative teaching is actually dangerous. Many children leave school with little to no knowledge about life as a queer person. Inter-personal problems such as STDs, domestic abuse and drugs are far from exclusive to cisgender straight people and everyone would benefit from having a greater understanding of LGBTQ issues" (http://mancunion.com/2017/12/01/sex-education-inadequate-say-students/)

Recent reports that have been released by sexual health charities and organisations in the UK have also demonstrated that young people themselves have identified the need for LGBTQIA+ inclusive RSE. One report jointly authored by the sexual health charity Brook and the National Crime Agency's COEP command (Digital Romance) surveyed over 2,000 young people aged 14 and 25 in the UK (and 72% of them being aged 14-17) with disturbing findings being made; for example, LGBT young people use the Internet to meet partners "with significantly more gay young people (9.9%) reporting they met up with an online contact who was not who they said they were compared with straight young people (4.9%). On the quality of RSE generally, only 72% reported receiving any education on relationship skills and only 26% of those respondents rated it as good or very good (https://www.brook.org.uk/press-releases/digital-romance).

Every child and young person in the UK has the right to access age-appropriate, effective RSE. Every child and young person has the right to learn about healthy relationships and to know that LGBTQ+ people can have happy and healthy long-lasting relationships that are respected by the majority of people living in the UK. Students who have SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) have the right to access information and guidance on safe sex and healthy relationships that is presented in an easy-to-understand format without patronising or infantilising them. However, as the Brook-CEOP report has shown, at the moment not every child/young person is receiving high quality RSE and it has been the case for decades. One of the largest studies on the opinions of young people, conducted by the UK Youth Parliament in 2007 which had over 20,000 participants under the age of 18 (Sex and Relationships Education: Are You Getting It?) found that 40% believed the RSE they had received was either poor or very poor. Having a basic Programme of Study that schools have to follow will allow for standardisation of content which should lead to greater consistency in delivery. 

There are also fears that the RSE consultation may allow for loopholes that faith schools can go through so as to not discuss essential topics relating to sexual health, including contraception. There may be discussions in RSE lessons that advocate against abortion when RSE lessons are meant to be delivered as free from bias as is possible. Equally there may be RSE lessons delivered which are anti same-sex marriage. Recent guidance released by the Church of England encourages Anglican schools to facilitate lessons exploring same-sex relationships but have not made it a mandatory part of their current PSHE programme probably because senior members of the Church are concerned there will be resistance from conservative Anglo-Catholic teachers if the new RSE programme of study makes it compulsory for them to teach about same-sex marriage in their classrooms. The Government last week released a statement that said that faith schools should be allowed to "teach RSE in accordance with the tenets of their faith". I would argue that this goes directly against what Greening has said in her piece for the Times Educational Supplement where she states that RSE has to be "relevant to modern life in Britain". For me, that has to include age-appropriate, sensitive discussions around same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ relationships in general.

RSE critics deliberately paint a bleak picture of the subject. Thomas Pascoe from the Campaign of the Coalition for Marriage infers that RSE is part of the "indoctrination process", arguing that it will lead to "sexualisation of children" and mistakenly concluding there is "no "age appropriate way to teach primary school age children about homosexual relationships or transgenderism" (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/19/children-taught-transgender-issues-sex-education-lessons/). There are a number of things wrong with the statements Pascoe has made. Firstly, recent evidence has suggested that age-appropriate RSE helps reduce underage sexual activity; the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), as quoted by sexologist Goedele Liekens, found that explicit sex education "reduces the amount of young people having sex from a very young age, reduce the numbers of sexual partners young people have, as well as preventing people from conducting or being victims of abuse" (http://mancunion.com/2017/12/01/sex-education-inadequate-say-students/).

Secondly, there are a already number of RSE experts who have designed age-appropriate guidance and lesson plans to help primary school teachers who are PSHE and RSE leads in school deliver excellent lessons on LGBT+ related topics including gender identity. I don't think Mr Pascoe is aware of Professors Richard Woolley and Sacha Mason's book on delivering RSE to 5-11 year olds which includes how primary school teachers can answer challenging and embarrassing questions (I suggest he may peruse its contents a little....you can buy your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Relationships-Sex-Education-5-11-Development/dp/1441190295). Deborah Price has written a great academic textbook that gives information and advice to Early Years professionals who want to talk about gender diversity and sexuality (https://www.jkp.com/uk/a-practical-guide-to-gender-diversity-and-sexuality-in-early-years-2.html). Lynnette Smith, MD and Founder of Big Talk Education opinion-eded in iNews, pointing out 2015 research which found that "children who have received age-appropriate RSE are three times more likely to speak out if something untoward is happening to them" (https://inews.co.uk/opinion/children-taught-sex-ed-age-four-11/). Smith then went on to suggest a blueprint for delivering age-appropriate RSE based on the Programme of Study RSE experts within her organisation have designed (emphasis on experts...something Mr Pascoe is not on this issue) which includes discussing gender identity.

As I've blogged about many a-time-before, I believe that the new RSE guidance should include age-appropriate lessons on gender identity. There is no shortage of children's books that can help introduce the topic sensitively, not least the excellent (and current very popular "Are You A Boy or Are You A Girl?" written by the sassy Sarah Savage and illustrated by the fabulous Fox Fisher available here (https://www.jkp.com/uk/are-you-a-boy-or-are-you-a-girl-2.html). So I really don't know what Mr Pascoe and other "professionals" like him are going on about. 

Before I go on, there's something that I should draw everyone's attention to regarding appropriate use of terminology (something RSE leads will need to be given training on to deliver lessons on gender identity effectively): there's no such thing as "transgenderism". Transgender people are not espousing an ideology....it's a word that is used by critics to try and discredit trans activists from speaking out (e.g. about the need to design more trans inclusive medical service provision within the NHS). Critics like Mr Pascoe can debate with trans people based on ideology but the ideology he and others perhaps are taking issue with is Queer Theory and the debate should be between proponents of Queer Theory and proponents of Christian Fundamentalism (Pascoe) or Radical Feminism, all three of which may be taught about in secondary school at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5. Let's hope that Mr Pascoe will be inspired to investigate best RSE practice going forward and maybe listen to lived-in experiences of trans people before he passes judgement on yet another topic he doesn't really seem to know very much about (there's rather a lot of rent-a-gob hack opinion-eding going on at the moment, especially about trans people....perhaps it will reduce in the future as a result of LGBTQIA+ RSE...let's hope so!)

The Brook and CEOP Digital Romance report revealed that young people are using social media messaging platforms to connect with each other, in both positive and negative ways. Young people want RSE practitioners to recognise the benefits of digital romance-i.e. "not convey a general negativity about all things online" as well as celebrating the positive actions young people themselves are taking to educate others about online safety. Some young people see digital technology as allowing them to exercise positive control, "some freedom from negative judgements and pressures, and space to be authentic" (https://www.brook.org.uk/data/DR_REPORT_FINAL.pdf). However, it seems that sexting has become increasingly prevalent, with 34% of respondents stating they have sent a nude or sexual image to someone they were interested in, 52% stating they had received such an image and 26% of 14-17 year olds saying they had sent a nude or sexual selfie. More worryingly, 9% of respondents said they had sent a nude or sexual image onto someone else which wasn't of them and 28% had felt pressured into sending an image of themselves (https://www.brook.org.uk/data/DR_REPORT_FINAL.pdf) with girls feeling more pressured (36%) than boys (11%). RSE lessons should address this issue head on, ensuring that all young people understand why it is important not to share images of others without consent and build young people's confidence to call out the sending of nude images as being unsatisfactory. Brook suggests that schools work with partner organisations to develop "positive bystander'" programmes and empower young people through RSE to intervene and challenge "the negative attitudes and behaviours they witness", including breaking down gender stereotypes (i.e. young men talking to their friends about respecting their body and that of their friends and partners).

As someone who was raped orally while at University and who didn't know where to turn for the initial support and advice that any rape or sexual assault victim deserves regardless of gender, I believe that RSE lessons need to contain crystal clear guidance on consent and on access to rape and sexual assault advice and support services locally, regionally and nationally. Grace Avila Casanova, from youth empowerment organisation Shout Out UK points out the current situation regarding sexual offences: "the number of sexual offences by under 18s against other under 18s in England and Wales rose by 71% between 2012 and 2017 (there were 4,603 offences in 2013-14 and this rose to 7,866 in 2016-17....see https://www.metro.news/child-on-child-sex-assaults-soar-71/774985/ for more stats on this). For Casanova, "such indicators highlight, among other things, the importance of appropriate, inclusive and up-to-date guidance on sex and relationships" (https://www.shoutoutuk.org/2017/12/27/the-current-state-of-sex-education-in-the-uk/).

At primary school level, lessons should focus on reinforcing the idea that touching certain body parts on others is unacceptable (and ensuring that students know the proper names of those body parts so they can tell their teacher/parent when someone has touched them inappropriately). At secondary level, lessons on consent should include references to key legislation as well as signposting young people to services so they will know where to go for help and advice free from judgement and stigma if they find themselves in the situation that I found myself in. No young person should ever feel afraid to approach specialist organisations for help. The help should be freely available to all regardless of their sexual orientation or gender.

I'm also very supportive of the need for RSE to contain lessons on domestic violence, abuse (DVA) and coercive control, especially at secondary school level. Young people should be able to spot early signs of abuse and be encouraged to report their concerns to organisations so that they have the best chance of protecting themselves and their family. It must be noted that whilst DVA primarily affects women and girls, anyone can become a victim of DVA and coercive control, including men but with non-judgemental help and support, they can rebuild their lives and survive. LGBTQIA+ people, especially trans people are also more likely to be survivors of DVA and coercive control; statistics quoted by Broken Rainbow (an organisation that helped raise awareness of DVA in the LGBTQIA+ community which unfortunately closed in 2016) found that Domestic Violence affects at least 1 in 4 LGB people and up to 80% of trans people (The Scottish Transgender Alliance research)and studies have shown that LGBT people are less likely to say they are victims of DVA for fear of being outed by service providers (https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph50/evidence/report-4-broken-rainbow-uk-national-lgbt-domestic-violence-service-pdf-430408045). Stonewall's research found that 25% of lesbian and bi women have experienced domestic abuse in a relationship and 49% of all gay and bi men have experienced at least one incidence of domestic abuse from a family member or partner since they turned 16 (https://www.stonewall.org.uk/help-advice/criminal-law/domestic-violence).
LGBTQIA+ young people need to be given the reassurance that if they ever find themselves in an abusive relationship, they will have services to turn to who will at least treat them with respect. At the same time, all young people should be participating in these lessons so they understand standards of acceptable behaviour in relationships.

As well as signposting for DVA, young people should know about what sexual health services are provided in their local area and how to access them. The Mancunion survey found that 26% of young people asked did not know where they could get tested and 33% had not been tested in the last 6 months. RSE leads in schools and NHS sexual health service providers should collaborate more regularly to increase awareness, whether that be organising annual visits to sexual health clinics so that secondary school students understand the sexual health check process and sexual health professionals can debunk myths around lack of confidentiality or designing innovative learning modules so that young people can visit the sexual health clinic without having to attend (using 360 pictures, videos etc). Sexual health professionals have valuable information to impart and such examples of collaboration in the past have been successful in encouraging attendance; for example there was a pilot of running mock sexual health clinics in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham in 1995, where 300 pupils in Years 10-12 attended a sexual health clinic and learned how the clinic operated; by the end of the pilot year, there was an increase of 29.5% in under 16s registering at sexual health clinics in the area (Lucy Emmerson, Secondary Schools and sexual health services: Forging the links, 2003).  Young people who are empowered to look after their sexual health when young will be more likely to continue to do so in the future. 

RSE does need to contain lessons that are focussed on prevention and protection but at the same time these lessons need to be delivered in a positive and engaging manner by professionals who are passionate about the subjects covered. Let's not just talk about what a young person can't do but also tell them that their future relationships can be happy, healthy and truly fulfilling. That includes relationships that are not sexual in any form. Young people at secondary school level should learn about asexuality- to know that we are not all sexual beings and it's OK not to have sexual desires. RSE should be a subject where children and young people are encouraged to embrace and celebrate (not just respect) differences.

RSE programmes will never be truly effective unless young people are involved in their design. As Ian Bauckham, who is leading the Government's review of RSE states in his article for The Telegraph, the consultation will only really be successful if it has managed to convince young people to contribute their opinions: "they (young people) will have important views and direct relevant experience which should help shape the decisions made on this topic" (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/12/19/society-has-changed-children-need-compulsory-sex-relationship/). Some young people have already contributed to the debate; a group connected with Brook helped craft the Young Person's Manifesto for RSE, which gives 12 recommendations to create the "baseline for quality RSE". Recommendations include ensuring that regular RSE lessons are timetabled, that RSE "promotes equal, happy relationships" and that RSE leads and professionals feel OK with reacting to student's feedback and have been appropriately trained to do so (https://www.brook.org.uk/attachments/YP_Manifesto_2017.pdf). Other young people should be encouraged to contribute their views on RSE and the key to this is ensuring secondary school teachers, FE college lecturers, university lecturers and personal tutors, parents, guardians and carers and yes, maybe even the local parish priest, imam or rabbi publicise the survey and make students aware of it. The PSHE Association has even devised a lesson plan that can be used to encourage Key Stage 3 and 4 students to respond: https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/curriculum-and-resources/resources/department-education-pshe-and-rse-consultation-get. Posters, social media platforms including blogs and YouTube vlogs can all be mediums used to raise awareness, hence why I'm using my small but nicely formed platform. So please do encourage as many people as possible to take the online survey, which can be accessed here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/life-skills/pshe-rse-call-for-evidence/
You've got until February 12th 2018 to respond!