UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has called on Westminster City Council and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to investigate a clinical psychologist who allegedly introduced a highly contentious anti-Israel political narrative into professional workshops connected with Children’s Services.
A 2026 article in the Journal of Family Therapy identifies the systemic psychotherapist and clinical psychologist working in Children’s Services at Westminster City Council.
The article, entitled “Genocide in Gaza: An Ethical Challenge for Systemic Therapists”, states that an author identified as “JE” had run workshops since October 2023 for staff and service users to “break the silence” about Gaza.
According to the article, the workshops were intended to help staff talk with families about what it described as the “genocide in Gaza”. They also involved examining the supposed effects of “unchallenged Zionist discourses within UK media and institutions”.
The authors said the workshops had encouraged staff to open discussions with clients, including parents, children and adolescents, using this political framing.
UKLFI has written to Westminster City Council’s Executive Director of Children’s Services, arguing that the workshops appear to have treated a deeply contested legal and political allegation as established fact and encouraged staff to adopt that position in their dealings with vulnerable families.
The complaint warns that presenting “Zionist discourses” as a malign influence within the media and institutions risks creating a hostile environment for Jewish, Israeli and Zionist children, families and employees.
UKLFI said Children’s Services should support vulnerable children and families, rather than expose them to partisan political advocacy.
The organisation has asked the Council to establish whether the workshops were authorised, who approved them, what training materials were used and whether any assessment was carried out under the Public Sector Equality Duty.
It has also asked the Council to suspend the workshops pending an investigation, audit whether similar training has been delivered elsewhere and consider whether the psychologist’s conduct warrants disciplinary action or a referral to Prevent.
UKLFI argues that the conduct described may be inconsistent with section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, which requires public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and foster good community relations, as well as Westminster’s Employees’ Code of Conduct and its safeguarding duties under section 11 of the Children Act 2004.
In a separate complaint, UKLFI has asked the HCPC to open a fitness-to-practise investigation into the registered practitioner psychologist.
The complaint cites HCPC standards requiring practitioners to ensure that their personal beliefs and biases do not adversely affect service users, and to maintain public trust and confidence in their profession.
UKLFI said the involvement of children and adolescents significantly heightened its concerns.
Its complaint states that introducing a contested political narrative into professional discussions could expose Jewish and Israeli families, or families with connections to Israel, to emotional pressure, exclusion or indirect discrimination.
A UKLFI spokesperson said:
“Children’s Services must be a safe and impartial environment for every child and family, including Jewish and Israeli families.
“It is deeply concerning that a highly contested political allegation appears to have been presented as fact in professional workshops and then carried into discussions involving children and adolescents.
“Public-sector employees and regulated psychologists must not use their positions to impose their personal political beliefs on vulnerable service users. Westminster City Council and the HCPC should investigate these matters urgently and ensure that any inappropriate workshops are stopped.”