Merton Council is trying to stop its staff from referring to parents as ‘mum’ and ‘dad’ in a push to encourage more inclusive language.
The council’s new 27-page inclusive language guide encourages employees to use the term ‘caregivers’ instead of ‘mother’ and ‘father’.
A council spokesperson said it was important for council workers to ‘communicate with understanding and without making assumptions’.
‘Families are diverse, and in our work, we support lots of families including vulnerable children living with caregivers such as relatives or foster parents,’ they said.
‘This guide is a practical reminder to our staff to be mindful in their language and recognise families have different structures, not assume there is a “mother and father”.’
