A report commissioned by the Department for Education found that there is a significant lack of transgender-specific social work research, but the available evidence suggests transgender people "commonly report having poor experiences within social and care settings".
"More specifically, evidence suggests childhood gender dysphoria remains poorly understood by social workers, resulting in transgender people experiencing discrimination," the report states.
"Transgender people therefore report significant gaps in services."
The report calls for better training of social workers on transgender issues and for leadership on the issue from the Department for Education and chief social workers.
It also calls for improved visibility and inclusion of transgender people in the social work profession.
Examples of discrimination highlighted in the report include some social workers labelling parental support of gender variance as abuse, failing to recognise risks associated with an unsupportive home environment, and making uniformed judgments around the acceptance of gender variance.
However, the report adds that these findings, based on interviews with stakeholders including representatives of child and family social work teams across 10 councils, were offset with examples of more positive experiences.
Some social workers were found to be playing a key role in family mediation, being a key resource of information, facilitating treatment pathways and support, tackling local discrimination and generally ensuring that the interests of gender-variant children and young people are best promoted.
"On the basis of the range and diversity of views and experiences collected it seems likely that child and family social workers' knowledge of transgender issues is very mixed.
"Whereas some child and family social workers would seem to have minimal awareness of transgender issues, others operate within pockets of expertise, characterised by specialised knowledge and good practice.
"In line with this, child and family social workers' education and training in regard to transgender issues is likely variable, yet largely deficient.
"As a result, very few social workers would seem to have specific education or training in relation to transgender issues, at qualifying or post-qualifying level. Of those that do, there would seem to be a tendency for transgender issues to be subsumed under the LGBT umbrella, resulting in a lack of specificity in education."
The report concludes that transgender awareness is an area in need of development within the child and family social work profession, with the evidence indicating a demand for additional training materials.
