Seagull Weekly Briefing 25/10

Good morning, and welcome to the Brighton Seagull's Weekly Briefing. As we were going to press, we received shocking news: Spotify is already trailing Spotify Wrapped. We’ve not even had Hallowe’en yet, let alone Bonfire Night. It feels like Spotify Wrapped comes earlier every year.

Council ends use of bailiffs for vulnerable citizens

Big ACORN win: the council has announced that it will stop using bailiffs to collect council tax debt from the most vulnerable residents of Brighton. 

This decision comes after a year-long campaign led by ACORN, the community union.

From now on, individuals receiving council tax support will no longer be referred to bailiffs, marking a significant step toward reducing financial stress for those in need.

As well as this policy change, the council has committed to putting £2.2 million in its discretionary crisis fund. 

This fund will be available to support struggling residents across the city, providing a much-needed safety net for those facing financial hardship.

An ACORN spokesperson said:

This victory shows that our discipline, unity and strength in numbers wins. ACORN won't back down defending our class and our communities.

Misconduct allegations made of transgender youth charity dismissed after investigation

A two year investigation by the Charity Commission into allegations of misconduct at Mermaids have been dismissed as 'mismanagement'.

The report, which was published yesterday, has found that the almost 30-year-old charity, which support trans children and their families, had not been governed 'to the standards it expects'.

In September 2022, 62 complaints were made of Mermaids, and The Daily Telegraph accused the charity of giving binders to children 'as young as 13' without the consent of their parents.

In September 2022, Mermaids was the subject of an investigation by The Daily Telegraph, which accused the charity of offering chest binders to transgender youth without parental consent.

As is explored more here, the investigation was rooted in an anonymous adult pretending to be Kai, a 14-year-old trying to get support from the charity.

Staff offered 'Kai' a binder, and the paper criticised the charity for not investigating 'Kai's' mental health more throughly, and for not making 'Kai' tell an adult about binding ('Kai' told Mermaids that their parents did not approve).

At the time, Mermaids said:

Mermaids takes a harm reduction position with the understanding that providing a young person with a binder and comprehensive safety guidelines from an experienced member of staff is preferable to the likely alternative of unsafe practices and/or continued or increasing dysphoria.

The risk is considered by Mermaids staff within the context of our safeguarding framework.

The Charity Commission found that Mermaids struggled with how quickly it grew, from bringing in £84,000 in 2016 to nearly £2.3 million in 2023.

Trustee turnover was high, and the checks on trustees were not rigorous enough.

The investigation into Mermaids found no evidence that Mermaids:

• provided medical advice, which would have been outside its charitable purposes  
• made medical referrals for young people without the approval of a parent or carer  
• held inappropriate influence or ties to GIDS at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust or to private medical practices 
• failed to have appropriate safeguarding policies in place. 

Kathryn Downs, chair of trustees for Mermaid, said:

We are relieved that the Charity Commission Inquiry which began nearly two years ago is finally over. The report states, as we anticipated, that there is no finding of misconduct at Mermaids. 

We can now look forward and concentrate all our efforts and energies on providing high-quality support and empowering advocacy for trans children and young people and the important people in their lives. 

Year Nines to get counselling for one year as part of council scheme

Year Nine students in secondary schools will have access to counselling services until August next year.

This is part of a scheme to provide additional support to children who find accessing learning difficult because of their mental health.

The scheme will be supported by the Schools Mental Health Service, and evaluated by the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP).

According to the Mental Health and Wellbeing in Brighton & Hove report from 2022, the city has a 'statistically significantly higher percentage of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs' compared to the rest of the country, and this is continuing to increase.

In 2015, Brighton & Hove had the highest percentage of 15-year-olds in the South East with three or more risky behaviours, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, drug use, and physical inactivity.

The council conducts a Safe & Well at School Survey every two years, and the most recent one we have data for is November 2021. A total of 7,190 young people aged 11-16 took part from all ten secondary schools across the city (59% of pupils).

The survey found that young people’s emotional wellbeing has seen a significant deterioration in 2021 compared with previous surveys. Of those surveyed, 78% often feel happy, down from 84% in 2018; 61% often feel sad, up from 51% in 2018; 63% worry about their future, up from 58% in 2018; 56% often or sometimes struggle to sleep at night, up from 50% in 2018.

🖋 News in Brief 🖋

• Elm disease is at risk of spreading again this winter: the council has asked residents who have log burners and open fireplaces to make sure they don’t have elm logs in their wood piles.
• D0es anyone else find it funny that the council has to submit planning applications to itself? Anyway, they want to redo the toilets by the pier. Who's going to say no, themselves?

What's happening? A petition has been signed by more than 770 people to keep Kemptown Village Post Office open.

When is it closing? We reported last week that it's set to close on Monday 28th October.

Where are the closest post offices to Kemptown now? The nearest alternative branches are on St James's Street and Whitehawk Road.

What does the petition say? We quoted Labour councillor Gary Wilkinson last week, who said residents are 'rightly shocked and saddened'—the petition says:

This Post Office, in the heart of Kemptown village, is a lifeline for residents and businesses, who rely on it for essential services and who will struggle without a local branch. 

Who are they saying will struggle? According to the petition, 'the elderly and less mobile'.

What change is wanted? For some, they feel that the community's needs could be served by a community organisation which provides help and advice for people alongside internet access. Former Kemptown and Peacehaven MP, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, suggested this might push the post office to open a combined bank and post office for Kemptown, pointing out that there is no bank (Nationwide and Yorkshire Building Societies are, as the name suggests, building societies) between the Old Steine and Seaford. Others simply enjoy the friendship they've built with the person who runs the post office, saying they ran the place with 'good grace, patience, efficiency and good humour', and that 'there are workarounds but it’s not the same as popping down the village... the loss of this post office compounds the sad decline of Kemptown'.

What else is being done? Councillor Gary Wilkinson has said he has asked the Post Office for a meeting 'to make sure every avenue is explored to ensure the future of a service in the local community'.

What can I do to help? Sign and share the petition! And if you're secretly harbouring a burning desire to become a postmaster...