Local Authority SEEN

Local Authority SEEN is a network for UK local authority staff committed to promoting and supporting sex equality and equity in the workplace.

[Local Authority SEEN @LocalAuthSEEN]

Welcome to LocalAuthoritySEEN!
We are a new network committed to promoting and supporting sex equality and equity between women and men in Local Authorities across the UK, providing a much needed voice of support to staff who share our views
#LocalAuthSEEN
#BeMoreSEEN
#SEEN

[SEEN in Publishing @SEENPublishing]

Members from SEEN will be there. Will you be? @JournalismSEEN @SEENinArts @SEENinHR @thirdsectorSEEN @SportSEENuk @SEENCityNetwork @SEENinHealth @SEENintheCoE @LocalAuthSEEN @SEENinEnergy @SEENinRetail @SEENinSchools @SeenInSTEMM @SEENinParli @PoliceSEENUK @seen_network @ebswa

[Local Authority SEEN @LocalAuthSEEN]

Vote for clowns and you get… clowns. @BristolCouncil are an embarrassment, quite apart from betraying their citizens

[ShirleyBassey @Shirleysvoice3]

And this is what followed:
Another walk out, during another woman’s speech and a councillor interrupts and tries to silence her.
They cannot bear to hear the truth.

[Jenny @JennyGlover40]

@Shirleysvoice3 @BristolCouncil I wonder is @LocalAuthSEEN have any Bristol council members? It must be hell for them

[ShirleyBassey @Shirleysvoice3]

Disgraceful coordinated behaviour by councillors in the @BristolCouncil chamber tonight, trying to intimidate and disrupt women asking legitimate questions from the public gallery.
They have no shame.

[Women’s Rights Network- Greater Manchester @WRN_Manchester]

Find out about all of our inspiring authors appearing at Manchester Fringe Book Festival 29/11 https://t.co/SIozwFrpIS

Book tickets: https://t.co/XTEN8LpRcI

Also we are very pleased to announce @robjessel16 will be joining his coauthor @jo_bartosch to discuss 'Pornocracy'

[Local Authority SEEN @LocalAuthSEEN]

@elniedunne @Women_of_Surrey Hi, followed

[Local Authority SEEN @LocalAuthSEEN]

Statement from LA SEEN:

“We are pleased to hear that Surrey County Council has at last made a decision to exercise caution in respect of its long-term funding and promotion of Surrey Pride. However, we are deeply unhappy it has taken the conviction of Stephen Ireland for horrific crimes, including child rape and sexual abuse, to precipitate this decision.

Surrey County Council were warned for many years - including by lesbian women and gay men - about the serious child safeguarding concerns at Surrey Pride.

We hope all local authorities will now be willing to properly scrutinise external organisations and individuals with whom they work, regardless of whether they wear any variety of rainbow.”

[Women of Surrey @WomenofSurrey]

Surrey County Council has confirmed via an internal communication from CEO Terence Herbert, that it will not be funding or attending this year’s Pride in Surrey event
🧵

[Local Authority SEEN @LocalAuthSEEN]

Please do follow @tribunaltweets if you aren’t already, who are doing another excellent bit of public interest journalism, reporting the proceedings in the Peggie tribunal.

Many of us in local authorities are wearily familiar with the sort of equality ‘expertise’ NHS Fife deployed. In particular, we’re depressingly familiar with staff who speak out about their concerns being harassed and victimised by management. People are understandably afraid to risk their livelihoods. We applaud those who are able to speak out and who do, whilst supporting staff who are not yet in a position to do so.

We hope this tribunal - along with the conviction of Stephen Ireland, about whom Surrey County Council received numerous complaints related to safeguarding - will cause a drastic rethink in the public sector about its approach to equality matters. But, if it doesn’t, we will continue working to ensure that a drastic rethink does take place. We can’t let this state of affairs continue.

[Local Authority SEEN @LocalAuthSEEN]

And many thanks to @Women_of_Surrey for this timely update.

As seen in the ongoing employment tribunal case of Sandie Peggie v NHS Fife and Dr Upton, the UK public sector has adopted deeply biased approaches to its treatment of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act. Overlooking or dismissing genuine well-founded concerns, as these biased approaches have led organisations to do, has resulted in genuine harm to groups and individuals - who should have been protected.

We urge local authorities to review their policies in respect of these matters, and if they do not have sufficient in-house legal expertise to do this, they must seek truly expert equality law advice.

[Local Authority SEEN @LocalAuthSEEN]

Statement from LA SEEN:

“We are pleased to hear that Surrey County Council has at last made a decision to exercise caution in respect of its long-term funding and promotion of Surrey Pride. However, we are deeply unhappy it has taken the conviction of Stephen Ireland for horrific crimes, including child rape and sexual abuse, to precipitate this decision.

Surrey County Council were warned for many years - including by lesbian women and gay men - about the serious child safeguarding concerns at Surrey Pride.

We hope all local authorities will now be willing to properly scrutinise external organisations and individuals with whom they work, regardless of whether they wear any variety of rainbow.”

[Women of Surrey @WomenofSurrey]

We also await confirmation from @SurreyPolice that their presence at the event will be strictly operational
#WithoutFearOrFavour
/end

[Women of Surrey @WomenofSurrey]

This is a welcome decision from Surrey County Council. Let’s hope Guildford Borough Council, which has made the extraordinary choice to host the event for a second consecutive year, will follow suit. @GuildfordBC
4/

[Women of Surrey @WomenofSurrey]

Surrey County Council has confirmed via an internal communication from CEO Terence Herbert, that it will not be funding or attending this year’s Pride in Surrey event
🧵

[Tribunal Tweets @tribunaltweets]

Peggie v NHS Fife & Dr B Upton resumes this morning. Planned for 10 am but delays would not be unusual. Coverage of the first morning session will be in this thread.

[Tribunal Tweets @tribunaltweets]

Our previous reporting in our Substack here:
https://t.co/qY8zKHhoBH

[Local Authority SEEN @LocalAuthSEEN]

Please do follow @tribunaltweets if you aren’t already, who are doing another excellent bit of public interest journalism, reporting the proceedings in the Peggie tribunal.

Many of us in local authorities are wearily familiar with the sort of equality ‘expertise’ NHS Fife deployed. In particular, we’re depressingly familiar with staff who speak out about their concerns being harassed and victimised by management. People are understandably afraid to risk their livelihoods. We applaud those who are able to speak out and who do, whilst supporting staff who are not yet in a position to do so.

We hope this tribunal - along with the conviction of Stephen Ireland, about whom Surrey County Council received numerous complaints related to safeguarding - will cause a drastic rethink in the public sector about its approach to equality matters. But, if it doesn’t, we will continue working to ensure that a drastic rethink does take place. We can’t let this state of affairs continue.

[Local Authority SEEN @LocalAuthSEEN]

And many thanks to @Women_of_Surrey for this timely update.

As seen in the ongoing employment tribunal case of Sandie Peggie v NHS Fife and Dr Upton, the UK public sector has adopted deeply biased approaches to its treatment of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act. Overlooking or dismissing genuine well-founded concerns, as these biased approaches have led organisations to do, has resulted in genuine harm to groups and individuals - who should have been protected.

We urge local authorities to review their policies in respect of these matters, and if they do not have sufficient in-house legal expertise to do this, they must seek truly expert equality law advice.

[Local Authority SEEN @LocalAuthSEEN]

This is a truly remarkable thread, and the official @NewcastleCC account’s responses to other X users are astonishing in both their tone and content.

It’s very disappointing to see standards are seemingly so lacking at Newcastle City Council that their comms team is happy to not only misrepresent the legal position vis-a-vis planning consent being required for non-standard flags flown from public buildings, but also to spread myths about trans people apparently being in particular danger of being murdered in Newcastle. (And to do so in such a reactive and unprofessional manner!)

We hope that someone at Newcastle City Council is able to at the very least remind officers of their duty to abide by the Nolan Principles, and what that could mean in relation to this particular issue: https://t.co/1vht07wPPZ

And perhaps a review of the council’s social media policy (and how it is implemented) might be useful. A public authority should not be telling untruths at all, never mind using its public-facing comms channels to do so.

Do you work for Newcastle City Council? Are you getting a bit fed up of factual errors being perpetuated by your employer in the name of gender ideology? Come and join us - https://t.co/zYvCVf5TYH

#bemoreSEEN #NolanPrinciples

[For Women Scotland @ForWomenScot]

Apparently the planning authority are unaware of the rules.

Handy should anyone need to challenge their competence on the matter of planning applications!

[For Women Scotland @ForWomenScot]

A bizarre comment from a council. No one said the Supreme Court ruling justified anything of the sort.

After the weekend, I would suggest a senior officer at Newcastle looks at the misuse of Social Media. Council accounts are supposed to remain politically neutral.