By james art The Charity Commission made a statement on wider issues when it published its report on the charity Mermaids, which supports young people asking gender questions.
The watchdog said charity trustees working in this area “must ensure they have regard to the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Cass Review”.
The independent review of gender identity services for children and young people, published in April,
concluded that caring for children’s gender was an area of ”remarkably weak evidence” and young people were drawn into a “tumultuous social discourse”.
Its author Dr Hilary Cass, now Baroness Cass, recommended a more “holistic and personal” approach to care and said there was a “lack of high-quality research” evaluating the use of puberty blockers in adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria.
She also recommended a “more careful approach” to young children’s social transition, saying that changing pronouns, names and clothes from an early age could lead to a greater sense of urgency for medical interventions such as puberty blockers.
On social transition, she said “parents should be actively involved in decision-making unless there are strong grounds to believe that this could put the child or young person at risk”.
The charity watchdog, in the findings of its report on Mermaids, said it had ordered the organization to review claims on its website that puberty blockers were an “internationally recognized safe, reversible healthcare option” – something it has since done .
The commission also said the charity must ensure parents are informed if it provides chest braces to children in future, in line with the recommendations of the Cass Review on social transition.
In its wider conclusions for the charity sector, the commission said: “Trustees working in this area should ensure that they take into account the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Cass Review and ensure that they have reviewed the literature, website and guidance in light of on them.
“Furthermore, trustees should have mechanisms in place to ensure they are up to date with any future changes in guidance or legislation.”
Commission chair Orlando Fraser said: “As the report points out, there are lessons for other charities working in these areas, including that they should take note of the Cass Review’s findings, conclusions and recommendations.”
After the review, the Children’s Society said it must be a “watershed” moment, and NHS England said the health service was “very grateful” for its author’s work.
However, not everyone welcomed its recommendations, with the British Medical Association (BMA) promising to “criticize” the review and make recommendations to improve the health system, which it says has “failed transgender patients”.
The doctors’ union called for the recommendations to be suspended during its assessment – a proposal rejected by the NHS, which said it had “full confidence” in the review’s final report.