A SOCIAL worker has been struck off for sexually abusing his clients.
While working for Kirklees Council in 1997, Leslie Healey told a female service user he wanted to have sex with her.
He was removed as her social worker but about three years later used his position to find out her address and sent her a Christmas card.
And while working for North Yorkshire County Council in 2006, he visited another female service user at home, even though he was no longer her allocated social worker.
Here, he pushed her against a wall, tried to kiss her and touched her breasts and bottom.
Healey started a sexual relationship with a third female service user in 1998, taking her and her family on holidays and lending them more than £4,000.
He used his position as a social worker to pass confidential information to the family - information given from the children's school to North Yorkshire County Council.
Healey had admitted some of the allegations but denied sexual misconduct.
He did not attend a four-day hearing at the General Social Care Council in London this week and the allegations were proved in his absence.
Healey no longer works for either Kirklees Council or North Yorkshire County Council.
He was removed from the Social Care Register yesterday.
Social worker sexually abused women Published Date: 12 February 2010A SOCIAL worker has been struck off for sexually abusing his clients.While working for Kirklees Council in 1997, Leslie Healey told a female service user he wanted to have sex with her. He was removed as her social worker but about three years later used his position to find out her address and sent her a Christmas card. And while working for North Yorkshire County Council in 2006, he visited another female service user at home, even though he was no longer her allocated social worker. Here, he pushed her against a wall, tried to kiss her and touched her breasts and bottom. Healey started a sexual relationship with a third female service user in 1998, taking her and her family on holidays and lending them more than £4,000. He used his position as a social worker to pass confidential information to the family - information given from the children's school to North Yorkshire County Council. Healey had admitted some of the allegations but denied sexual misconduct. He did not attend a four-day hearing at the General Social Care Council in London this week and the allegations were proved in his absence. Healey no longer works for either Kirklees Council or North Yorkshire County Council. He was removed from the Social Care Register yesterday
A SOCIAL worker from North Yorkshire has been struck off for having sex with a service user.
Leslie Healey, who was employed by North Yorkshire County Council, started a sexual relationship with the woman in 1998, the General Social Care Council’s conduct committee found.
He also lent the woman £5,000, took her on holiday with her family, acted as her child’s godparent and showed her confidential information about her that had been passed on to the council by a school.
Later, in 2008, Healey was found to have visited the woman, despite being instructed not to.
The committee said his behaviour amounted to “serious misconduct” and showed “flagrant dishonesty”.
A report from the committee read: “Removal was the only appropriate sanction. This is due to the serious and deliberate sexual abuse, the dishonesty and persistent failure to address and recognise the inappropriate professional behaviours.”
The report continued: “Whilst the committee noted the registrant’s apology and remorse, he continued to deny the sexually exploitative aspects of his behaviour and its impact on vulnerable service users.”
In a separate incident in 2006, while still employed by North Yorkshire County Council, Healey was found to have visited another service user at her home, where he groped her and attempted to kiss her.
At that time, he had no longer been the woman’s allocated social worker.
Earlier, while working for Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council in 1997, Healey had told a service user he wanted to have sex with her.
He was removed as her social worker but about three years later used his position to find out her address and sent her a Christmas card.
Healey did not attend the hearing at the General Social Care Council in London and the allegations were proved in his absence.
He no longer works for either Kirklees Council or North Yorkshire County Council and has been removed from the Social Care Register
Oftsed inspector who lured teenage girls to strip in internet webcam chats is jailed
A former Ofsted inspector who admitted getting teenage girls to strip during internet webcam chats has been jailed for two years.
Ian Knight - who also sat as a magistrate in West Bromwich - lured girls into going topless during webcam chats by posing as a 19-year-old named Reg.
Knight, 50, was caught out during a conversation with a 12-year-old identity created by police in a covert operation investigating internet child sex offences.
Raid: A laptop computer containing lurid web chats was confiscated when police swooped on Knight's home
Officers then raided Knight's West Bromwich home, seizing four computers including a Fujitsu laptop that contained logs of lurid chats he had with teens.
Wolverhampton Crown Court today heard married dad-of-two Knight would mostly tell girls he was 45 and from Birmingham, but occasionally gave his age as 19.
He would repeatedly ask teenage girls to send topless pictures of themselves, before pleasuring himself in front of his webcam and asking if they could see him.
Miss Alka Brigue, prosecuting, said: 'The reason he was arrested was that police were carrying out a covert internet operation by investigating people who appeared to have a sexual interest in children and who were using the internet to make contact with young girls.
'The police made a profile of a young girl called Katie, and using chat rooms they investigated the defendant, who made contact with her a number of times.'
The court heard Knight, suspended by Ofsted shortly after his arrest in September 2007, used the internet name 'Reg' - a reference to his teaching job, where Ofsted inspectors are known as Regs.
Behind bars: Knight has been jailed for two years
His barrister said Knight found himself on teen chat sites because his Ofsted job meant he 'had time on his hands'.
Miss Blondelle Thompson, defending, said: 'These are horrendous offences and he should have known better.
'During his time at work he found himself waiting for information to come about through the internet, and with time on his hands, he accessed the chat rooms.
'He can't really explain why he participated in them, save for that he put his life into reality and virtual reality.
'Sometimes inhibitions are thrown away when your not meeting someone face to face and talking, and things just seemed to escalate. He knows how these offences are viewed and it has had far reaching consequences. He has gone from having status in society to nothing.'
Knight had pleaded guilty to 15 child sex offences at an earlier hearing.
Sentencing Mr Knight, Judge Amjad Nawaz said: 'You had the privilege of education, the privilege of a good working life, and as a result you had the respect of many people around you and were trusted with not only children but you were also in charge of people who taught children.
'These offences will have come as a bolt out of the blue to your family. You engaged in sexual activity with these young girls and you effectively encouraged them to do similar acts.
'You also encouraged them to send photos to you of them in various states of undress. It is that element that came close to grooming, which is a real concern.
'You have lost everything - not just your good character, you stand on the verge of losing your job, your family and your home.'
Knight, who has since stood down as a magistrate, was disqualified indefinitely from working with children and will be on the Sex Offenders register for 10 years.
A SOCIAL worker who sent a "joke" e-mail that featured a photo-montage of Gary Glitter "smuggling" an Asian child through an airport is facing 13 misconduct charges.
William Simpson, who worked at South Lanarkshire Council, sent a string of "racist, homophobic, and discriminatory" e-mails from his work computer.
He and 13 colleagues were suspended over the e-mail controversy, and he later lost his job.
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ow his case is being heard by a Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) conduct hearing board.
Simpson is accused of 13 breaches of the SSSC code of practice. He is accused of sending four "offensive" e-mails, including one depicting convicted sex offender Glitter under an airport "Duty Free" sign holding a plastic bag with a child poking out of the top. He also sent an e-mail showing naked homosexuals in bed and questioning whether it was appropriate for same-sex couples to adopt children.
The other two e-mails were deemed racist and offensive to Muslims by colleagues.
At the bottom of one, he had typed in his own message sent to three friends outside the council: "No more curries for me!"
At the hearing in Dundee, Simpson's former boss Brenda Hutchinson told the board she had been "astonished and appalled" by the e-mails. She said the Gary Glitter one had caused the most offence, sparking an inquiry that uncovered the other three.
She said: "I thought the Gary Glitter e-mail was shocking, especially for a professional social worker who is supposed to protect vulnerable people.
"To send such imagery is so contrary to everything that a social worker should stand for."
Simpson was not present for the hearing and has not instructed any defence. The hearing will continue next month.
A FORMER senior social worker from South Yorkshire has been struck off the professional register for misconduct.
Douglas Adams was assistant director of children's services at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council when he made a series of comments – some of a sexual nature – to four female colleagues, the General Social Care Council (GSCC) heard.
He was dism
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issed in 2006 following a disciplinary investigation into a complaint made by one of the women, a pregnant administrative worker who said Adams suggested she should have an abortion.
The 56-year-old from Nottingham did not attend the two-day hearing in central London.
Allegations that Adams had a conversation with the pregnant woman, known as Ms D, during which he told her "it would be easy to have an abortion because her pregnancy was not that far gone" were found proved, along with others including suggesting she would end up with no job and would lose her figure.
He also said he knew she was expecting a baby because he noticed her "tits" had got bigger, the GSCC heard.
Adams, who lost an appeal against his dismissal by the council, suggested that he had been trying to "shock" her into acknowledging the difficulties she could face as a young mother, the hearing was told.
The evidence of another woman, Ms A, that Adams told her he could imagine her in a "Miss Whiplash" outfit was also found proved.
Adams also told Ms A that an administrative worker – Ms B – was "completely off her head" and "all over the place" because she was undergoing fertility treatment.
According to the GSCC, Adams whispered an obscene comment into the ear of another female colleague, Ms C, during an office Christmas meal.
Social worker may be struck off over series of allegations
LYING, POOR RECORD KEEPING AND FAILURE TO VISIT CLIENTS AMONG CLAIMS AT HEARING
BY SHONA GOSSIP
Published: 16/02/2010
A social worker who worked for a leading north-east charity is facing a catalogue of serious allegations over her conduct.
Jill Killen will appear in private at a disciplinary hearing in Dundee on Friday to face a series of charges relating to her time working for Grampian Society for the Blind.
Ms Killen, thought to have lived and worked in Moray, could be struck off by the Scottish Social Services Council if the allegations are upheld.
It is claimed she “failed in her duties as a social worker” and she is also accused of “lying”.
Ms Killen is alleged to have “consistently” failed to make contact with four people referred to the charity between September 2005 and July 2007 within the required 14-day period.
She is further accused of failing to make contact with one person for a year-and-a-half, and of not visiting the client for almost two years.
It has also been claimed Ms Killen took eight months to contact and visit another vulnerable person, in addition to similar charges relating to two others.
It is alleged that as a result, “vulnerable service users were not timeously assessed or provided with appropriate support or services”.
Ms Killen is also accused of failing to keep clear and accurate records of her cases, and not processing application forms which could have benefited her clients.
She is said to have acted “dishonestly” in that she allegedly shredded the management copy of her supervision notes, before falsely claiming there was no electronic copy of the papers.
The alleged failures are said to have occurred after Ms Killen received a final written warning in June 2004, following a finding of serious misconduct in which she was said to have misled her team leader about the processing of benefits forms.
Ms Killen was originally due to face the charges in September, but her hearing was postponed until last month.
A MAN responsible for the welfare of vulnerable North-East children has been struck off as a social worker for sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl.
Convicted paedophile Dwight McGuire worked in Darlington for four years, although his offence was committed some years before he moved to the town.
Yesterday, more details of his crimes came to light at a hearing of the General Social Care Council, in London.
It emerged that the 41-yearold American, who moved to Darlington after he secured a job as a social worker with Darlington Borough Council, had exposed himself to his victim numerous times, before indecently touching her while masturbating.
McGuire was sentenced to a year in jail in May last year after he admitted gross sexual imposition, although a search of the US sex offenders’ register revealed he is now a free man. He is listed as living in a village in Montana.
He was detained by officials at an airport in Minnesota in January last year, after his victim, who is now an adult, told police of her ordeal. The incidents happened in 1988 and 1989 while McGuire was a student. Yesterday’s committee heard that after she told police, the girl phoned McGuire in Darlington to obtain an admission from him.
With police listening in, McGuire confessed.
He was arrested shortly after when he returned to the US to visit his dying father.
Committee chairwoman Jeanette Cragg said: “This was a serious departure from the code of conduct, and confidence in social services would be undermined if he was allowed to continue as a social worker.”
Mrs Cragg said McGuire’s conduct was aggravated by a breach of trust, because the incidents were over a prolonged period and because in 2007, when the girl told the police about it, she was still deeply affected.
An investigation found no evidence that McGuire had committed any offence while working in Darlington.
A social worker from Sheffield who offered a client with alcohol issues a double whisky has been struck off.
When challenged by customers, Craig McLoughlin, 54, who admitted being drunk at the time, shouted that he was the man's social worker.
A committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) ruled that McLoughlin's actions amounted to misconduct.
The panel did not uphold allegations that McLoughlin had offered his client, known as Mr A, magic mushrooms.
The GSCC heard how Mr A, who had issues with psychosis linked to substance and alcohol abuse, was helped onto a detox programme by McLoughlin.
'I'll be your dad'
Andrew Swan, representing the GSCC, said McLoughlin had been on his own in a city centre pub on a day off in May 2005 when he bumped into Mr A and his girlfriend.
McLoughlin admitted that he had been very drunk and had consumed a bottle and a half of wine and several pints of beer, the panel heard.
The committee heard how McLoughlin invited the couple, who had gone to the pub for a meal, to sit with him.
McLoughlin then produced money and offered to buy whisky for Mr A.
I'm his social worker, this is our social work session
Craig McLoughlin
"He went on to express his view to Mr A that nobody could be without alcohol and that was despite the fact that Mr A had recently undergone detox", Mr Swan said.
Mr A refused the drink.
Further distress was caused to Mr A, whose father died when he was 13, when McLoughlin said "Don't worry about your dad, I'll be your dad", the tribunal heard.
After McLoughlin had shouted to customers "I'm his social worker, this is our social work session", Mr A telephoned his grandmother to tell her what was going on.
She then reported McLoughlin to his bosses.
'Committed chap'
The GSCC committee did not find proof for allegations that McLoughlin offered Mr A some magic mushrooms, or that he asked Mr A to provide him with cannabis or sleeping tablets.
McLoughlin was employed by the city council to work for the Sheffield Care Trust in mental health services from September 2004.
He had been working on a temporary contract but resigned on the day of a disciplinary hearing in September 2005.
Elizabeth Johnson of the Sheffield Care Trust, said: "He [McLoughlin] was a genuinely nice and committed chap, but with an alcohol problem.
"The outcome for Mr A was devastating. He was lucky he had his grandmother for support."
A senior social worker who used a hidden camera to film up women's skirts has been struck off.
Michael Bird, who has been sacked from his job at North Tyneside Council, adapted a tennis racquet bag to conceal a digital camera.
A General Social Care Council (GSCC) conduct hearing in central London heard the 55-year-old took the photos at stores in Newcastle in June 2008.
He received a police caution for voyeurism and has admitted misconduct.
The tribunal heard Bird, of Newcastle, used his hidden camera on four occasions, in Tesco at Kingston Park, Sainsbury's in Gosforth High Street, River Island in Eldon Square and Fenwick department store.
Fight claim
He was arrested on 25 June and admitted using the equipment in a department store.
He told officers he had taped down the camera's record button and put a piece of fabric over the camera lens to create the illusion an item of clothing was sticking of out the bag.
There was clearly an element of premeditation, planning and sophistication involved
Tricia Bradbury, committee chairwoman
Police found images on his home computer and immediately alerted his employer.
When asked about his arrest, Bird told his bosses at the council's emergency duty team he had been involved in a fight, but was then forced to come clean, stating he "did not know what had come over him".
The recovered images were of women's upper thighs, bottoms and partially covered genitalia, the tribunal heard.
'Maintain trust'
Nirupar Uddin, presenting for the GSCC, said Bird had taken the photographs for his own personal gratification.
She told the hearing's panel the offences breached the codes of practice relating to social care workers, namely that individuals must strive to establish and maintain trust and confidence in service users and carers.
They must also uphold public trust and confidence in social care services by not behaving in a way which would call into question an individual's suitability to work in the sector.
After hearing the facts of the case, committee chairwoman Tricia Bradbury said: "There was clearly an element of premeditation, planning and sophistication involved.
"The camera had to be placed in such a way that it could not be seen but still operated."
She said the committee had taken into account Bird's positive references and his 25 years' service, but found it was a "serious incident of misconduct".
An ex-social worker who had to be sent home early from a residential course after complaints from female colleagues has been found guilty of misconduct.
A professional tribunal said that David Holder should have a caution placed on his work record over his behaviour when on a course in an Exeter hotel in 2007.
Colleagues said Mr Holder had tried to get into a woman's room and called Forest of Dean residents "inbred".
The Gloucestershire social worker has since retired.
Mr Holder denied seven charges including claims he made inappropriate remarks to a female tutor on the course and attempted to get into the room of another female colleague.
However, the General Social Care Council (GCSC) hearing in London found the charges proved and said Mr Holder was "intimidating" and not a reliable witness.
The GCSC ordered that the caution remain on Mr Holder's professional record for three years.
A social worker accused of child sex offences following an investigation into paedophiles Colin Blanchard and Vanessa George has appeared in court.
Tracy Dawber, of Guildford Road, Southport, faces 11 charges including sexual assault on a child under 13 and possessing indecent images of children.
The 43-year-old, who denied all charges at an earlier hearing, has appeared at South Sefton Magistrates.
The next court hearing will be on 22 December.
Ms Dawber has been charged with four counts of possessing indecent images of children; five counts of permitting indecent images of children to be made; one charge of sexual assault on a child under 13; and a further count of facilitating the sexual assault of a child.
She has been remanded in custody.
Blanchard admitted a string of child abuse offences at Bristol Crown Court last month alongside nursery worker George and Angela Allen, both 39.
Police said the charges against Dawber have no connection to the Little Ted's Nursery in Plymouth, Devon, where George worked.
A social worker who displayed “extremely poor judgement” in her handling of a case in which a child subsequently died has been struck off the register.
A Care Council for Wales conduct committee found Eleni Cordingley had placed Child A at risk by failing to act on two phonecalls from the same person expressing concerns about the family.
Cordingley was a social worker at Swansea Council’s social services department at the time of the case in 2005.
Anonymous phonecalls
The anonymous calls were made to the access and information team between 27 April and 5 May of that year, but Cordingley failed to act appropriately, according to the committee. Child A died later that year.
After admitting misconduct at a hearing in Cardiff, she was told by committee chair Ann Teaney: “By exercising extremely poor judgement you failed to work in a safe and effective way. The misconduct admitted in this case is considered to be so serious that removal from the register is the only appropriate sanction.
"Protection of the public"
“This is necessary for the protection of the public and to uphold the public interest in maintaining confidence in social care services.”
Teaney also expressed concern about Swansea Council’s delay in informing the CCW about the result of a disciplinary hearing involving Cordingley, which concluded in October 2007.
Council's improvement programme
Swansea Council said in a statement that the child’s death “was a terrible tragedy and [we are] very sorry that it happened”.
It added that a serious case review had found the child was not known to social services prior to the first phonecall. The council said it had acted on the report’s recommendations and worked with the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales to strengthen its services for vulnerable children.
Wendy Fitzgerald, cabinet member for social services, said the council had already invested £350,000 in recruiting additional social workers this year.
A SOCIAL worker who had sex with a mentally ill woman from Camberley has been struck off the social care register.
David Cookson was employed by Surrey County Council as a locum when he slept with the woman known as Ms A after becoming her key worker in 2006.
The 44-year-old from Southampton only admitted having sex with her when she later revealed she was pregnant.
Last year, he was convicted at Guildford Crown Court of having a sexual relationship while in the position of care of a vulnerable adult.
He was placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years and ordered to attend a group work programme.
Now an independent committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) has removed him from the Social Care Register.
The committee said Cookson was aware straight away that his actions breached the social workers’ code of practice but he made no attempt to inform the council of the affair.
Rosie Varley, chairman of the GSCC, said: “Social workers are put in a position of trust and it is therefore vital that they act with integrity while safeguarding vulnerable people.
“Thankfully, the majority of the 80,000 registered social workers find no difficulty in complying with this.
“In order to maintain the safety of vulnerable people we take all matters of law breaking very seriously and will not hesitate to apply the appropriate sanctions.”
A social worker has been found guilty of shouting homophobic abuse at a child in his care.
Stan Lansdell, 52, was struck off today for "gross abuse" of his position. He worked for Bradford council at the time of the offences.
A General Social Care Conduct Council (GSCC) in London heard he had committed 59 counts of misconduct, including failing to follow child protection procedures, providing false references and making inappropriate contact with an 18-year-old girl.
Communitycare.co.uk reports that Lansdell had shouted homophobic abuse at a trans girl known as Child F in April 2007, when the child was aged between 12 and 13.
The child, who chose to wear girl's clothing and was said to be experiencing gender confusion, said Lansdell had threatened to put her into care and referred to her as a "f***ing little gay b****d".
Lansdell also made inappropriate phone calls and text messages of a sexual nature to the child's 18-year-old cousin.
He did not attend the four-day hearing but said in an email sent to the court that the allegations were fabricated.
He was also found to have failed to keep up-to-date records on at least 13 children.
But the the GSCC's presenting officer said Lansdell had shown "untrustworthiness" and that his behaviour was "potentially dangerous" to vulnerable children.
Committee chair Barry Picken said the committee believed he had "deep-seated personality and attitudinal problems".
A social worker who defrauded a local authority of £25,000 in care payments for her disabled husband over two and a half years has been struck off.
An independent conduct committee of the General Social Care Council removed Julie Andrews, 45, after she admitted supplying false financial information to Essex Council in her capacity as her husband's carer. She also worked for the council as a social worker for two years between 2005 and 2007, which coincided with her false claims, although she maintained her dishonesty was not related to of obtaining property by deception and dishonestly making a false representation. She was jailed for 15 months in January.
Cash used "to fund extravagant lifestyle"
The Essex Chronicle reported in January that Andrews, who lived in Chelmsford, Essex, at the time of her prosecution, stole the identity of a care worker and used it to claim funding from Essex Council between June 2005 and March 2008. Andrews interviewed the female worker on behalf of her disabled husband, not in her capacity as a social worker, according to the newspaper.
She reportedly used the money to fund an extravagant lifestyle including trips to New York and the Far East and plastic surgery.
Dishonesty was "frequent and planned"
Despite mitigating factors such as the registrant's clean disciplinary record, her recent employment as an outreach worker, and the fact she had shown remorse, the committee found the "high value, the high frequency, and the planned nature of the dishonesty" left them with no option but to remove her from the register.
A spokesperson for Essex Council said: “We can confirm that Julie Andrews worked as a social worker at Essex County Council from 30 June 2005 until 25 May 2007. Her employment with Essex County Council ended amicably and any convictions took place after she left.”
A SOCIAL worker has been struck off after a committee accepted allegations of misconduct involving two young girls in the 1980s.
Douglas Makey, 49, who worked for Kent County Council, was banned from being a social worker after a three-day hearing of the General Social Care Council (GSCC).
The council was told he had sexually abused one girl between June 1983 and October 1984 and another between October 1987 and September 1989 at Glenview children’s home in Gravesend.
In a report released after the hearing the GSCC said it was abuse carried out for “his own sexual gratification and at night-time”.
Makey, from Tonbridge, was accused of abusing the first girl, known as Ms A, when she was around nine years old.
He had taken her to his room at night when he was the only adult on duty, the GSCC heard.
Ms A, now aged 35 and a mother of five, gave evidence at the hearing, saying: “If I was awake I would hear the fire door open. When I think back to the noise of that door opening I get a scary feeling.
“I would lie there and think ‘Is that him?’, ‘Is it going to happen tonight?’ “Other times I would be asleep and I would wake up to him lifting me up.”
She added: “As much as I was frightened it was nice to spend time with him. At that young age it never felt awful, I just felt he wanted special time with me.
“I now feel differently and know what he did was disgusting, degrading and dirty.
“I don't have a figure for how many times it happened but sometimes he would sneak in twice a week.”
Ms A said she reported Makey to his colleagues but no action followed.
It was only in 2006 when Ms A and her own children were referred to Kent County Council for housing and parenting issues that she went to the police.
Makey was investigated but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) did not prosecute him due to insufficient evidence.
He was accused of molesting the second girl, known as Ms B, when she was between 10 and 12 years old, allegedly getting into bed with her when he was the only adult on duty.
A statement she made to a Kent County Council officer before the hearing was heard by the GSCC.
Reporting its findings, the GSCC said: “These are very serious findings of the sexual abuse of two vulnerable children in a residential care home, by a man responsible for their wellbeing.
“It was abuse carried out for his own sexual gratification and at night-time.
“These young children were particularly vulnerable and trusted the registrant (Makey) implicitly.
“Ms A arrived at Glenview a ward of court with no significant adult in her life.
“The registrant took full advantage of this, using his position of trust and power within the home, and groomed Ms A with treats and affection.Having so groomed her, he went on to sexually abuse her repeatedly over a prolonged period of time.
“With Ms B, he took advantage of her obvious affection for him. This was in the same residential home but a number of years later.
“The registrant again used his position and her complete trust in him to sexually abuse her in the safe knowledge that, like Ms A, she would be unlikely to speak out and that even if she did, it was unlikely she would be believed.
“The registrant’s behaviour was of a most serious nature, repeated over a prolonged period and against targeted, vulnerable young children in care.
“The committee decided the behaviour of the registrant was so serious the only appropriate sanction in this case was removal from the register.”
A KCC spokesman said: "Douglas Makey did not work for KCC when the alleged incident took place.
"When we were made aware of the allegations, Douglas Makey was suspended and subsequently dismissed from employment at KCC following a disciplinary investigation.
"This case was then referred to the General Social Care Council.
"We are grateful to the courage shown by the young women who came forward to report this case."
Social worker struck off register following theft conviction
28/10/2009
A social worker who stole over £50,000 in cash from a charity she worked for has been removed from the profession by an independent committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC).
Mrs Lynne Greenwood, 57, worked as a Service Director in the Manchester office of Creative Support Limited, a charity which provides social care services for people with learning disabilities and other mental health issues. She was convicted at Manchester Crown Court in November 2008 of two counts of theft after being found guilty of stealing £52,742.35 in cash from the charity over a period of 18-20 months. Greenwood was given an 11 months suspended prison term over two years on condition that the money was returned to Creative Support Limited, which she has since done.
Greenwood, who was not present at the GSCC’s hearing, admitted in a letter to the committee that her convictions amounted to misconduct. In mitigation, she said that no service user was directly harmed by her actions and her actions did not reflect negatively on social workers as she was not employed as a social worker at the time. She added that she was compulsive spender but was receiving help to address these issues.
In finding Greenwood guilty of professional misconduct, the committee said her actions constituted a serious breach of the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers. They noted that Greenwood occupied a senior position within the charity and had deprived service users of valuable funds.
In removing her from the register, they cited sections of the code relating to maintaining the trust of service users and upholding confidence in social care services. They said allowing Greenwood to remain on the register after admitting such grave offences of dishonesty would be “wholly inappropriate and disproportionate”. By saying in her letter to the committee that money was not taken directly from service users, Greenwood “failed to demonstrate insight into the seriousness and impact of her actions.”
GSCC Chair, Rosie Varley, said “The vast majority of registered social workers are upright and honest professionals who abide by the law and the GSCC code of practice. People who use services need to have confidence in social workers. The GSCC must take action against registrants who fail to meet the high standards expected of them in the interest of public protection.”
A social worker has been struck off for stealing more than £4,000 from a service user with mental incapacity.
Martha Wright, 33, of Manchester, stole the money when she was a social worker in Trafford Council's health and disability team, a General Social Care Council conduct committee was told this week.
Wright was convicted in November 2007 of stealing £4,747 over nine months from an adult service user known as Ms A. The social worker was given a suspended jail sentence and 240 hours' community service.
Social worker struck off register following misconduct
05/10/2009
A 65-year-old social worker has been removed from the Social Care Register by an independent committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) for misconduct.
During the four-day hearing, the committee heard allegations that Rosalind Shaw, who worked for the London Borough of Waltham Forest’s Intermediate Care Assessment Team (ICAT) based at Whipps Cross hospital, failed to meet standards of practice required as a social worker. The allegations included: failure to assess users of services in accordance with employer requirements; failure to report an allegation of abuse by a carer through the proper procedure; an inability to handle confidential patient information safely; and acting without management consultation.
Shaw did not attend the hearing at which the committee heard from several witnesses including Ms Shaw’s ICAT manager, who attested to her inability to adhere to correct procedures as set out in the code of practice for social workers, as well as to follow management instructions.
The committee concluded that in view of the persistent and serious nature of Rosalind Shaw’s behaviour and in order to protect the public, she should be removed from the Register. In reaching their decision, the committee highlighted the fact that Rosalind Shaw had “consistently failed to follow national standards and local procedures”. Her behaviour had an adverse impact on the performance and effectiveness of colleagues and staff in other agencies as well as failing to safeguard people who use services.
The GSCC’s Chair, Rosie Varley, said: “When social workers register with the General Social Care Council, they agree to abide by a code of practice. The vast majority of social workers practice in accordance with the code, but where someone has failed to maintain standards of practice, the GSCC will take action to ensure standards are upheld and public confidence is maintained”
The sanction has immediate effect and means that the registrant will not be able to practise as a social worker.
A council worker who bribed teenage girls under the authority’s care to attend nude and lingerie photo shoots has been struck off the General Social Care Council register.
Christopher Hardman was a team leader at Kirklees MBC’s Youth Offending Team at the time he sent text messages and letters to a number of young women attached to the service under the guise of a model agency.
A hearing in London was told that Hardman, from Batley, West Yorkshire, had assumed several identities – some of them female – to encourage the girls to take part in the sessions in exchange for cash.
He also targeted the adult daughter of a colleague, who subsequently attended a session arranged by Hardman under an alias.
Hardman resigned from the authority in 2007 following police investigations into the allegations.
He did not attend the hearing but admitted misconduct in relation to a statement of facts surrounding his case.
The GSCC said Hardman had not practised as a social worker since leaving Kirklees and, following his removal from the Social Care Register, is no longer entitled to.
Rosie Varley, GSCC chair, said social work relied on the existence of a wholly professional relationship with service users.
“The vast majority of social workers, and there are almost 80,000 on our register, have no difficulty with this because they are absolutely committed to working in the best interest of the service user at all times,” she said.
“People who need social care services have the right to be protected from social workers who seriously abuse the trust placed in them, for the purpose of sexual gratification or for any other purpose.
“A social worker who abuses this trust should forfeit the privileges which come with registration and be removed from the workforce.”
Heroin-addicted social worker struck off over cover-up of own child's abuse
A heroin-addicted social worker has been struck off after she delayed seeking medical help for her gravely injured baby and tried to cover up the fact that her partner was to blame.
By Aislinn Laing Published: 8:00AM GMT 20 Nov 2009
The woman, who is known only as Miss C to protect the identity of her 13 month-old daughter, hid her almost daily use of heroin from her employer while working as an adult care social worker between January 2006 and December 2007.
When her partner inflicted life-threatening injuries on their child, she delayed seeking medical help and then lied to doctors about what had caused the injuries.
The little girl was also found to have an older injury of a fracture to a bone in her skull.The child was eventually admitted to hospital on 16 October 2007, where she was found to be suffering from injuries including a perforated intestine consistent with blows to the stomach, and serious bruising to her back.
A two-day hearing of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) in London this week found that Miss C had jeopardised her daughter's health by her delay in seeking medical health, and lied to protect her partner.
The case raises further questions about the quality of Britain's social services in the wake of the Baby P scandal, including whether chronic staff shortages in some areas of the country have forced councils to lower their employment standards.
The child's father pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and was jailed for two years earlier this year.
It is not clear whether hospital staff alerted social services to Child A's injuries when she was admitted, or when the investigation into Miss C started.
But the GSCC hearing was told that the woman continued working for the unnamed council's social services department for two more months after her daughter was injured.
Her heroin addiction – and the fact she was also taking methadone – only came to light in December 2007. She had failed to declare her drug use on a pre-employment form.
The GSCC's conduct committee ruled that Ms C should be removed from the register of social workers.
"If a social worker's behaviour, in or outside work, calls into question their judgment, honesty or commitment to helping others we must take action," GSCC Chairwoman Rosie Varley said.
"We do this in order to ensure that only those who are fit, trained and committed to putting the interests of service users first are able to practise as social workers."
Social worker Tricia Forbes has been removed from the social care register by the General Social Care Council.
The conduct committee decided to strike her off after hearing how she had failed to follow child protection procedures, placing a teenage girl at risk.
Forbes, then a deputy team manager at Waltham Forest Council, admitted she had not followed instructions given by a manager in her handling of a case involving a 13-year-old girl who had disclosed physical abuse by her father.
She had left the girl, known as A, who had been "adamant" she did not want to go home, after she asked if she could return a jacket to a friend.
She later went missing for four days before being admitted to hospital with alcohol poisoning.
The girl, who along with two siblings had previously been on the child protection register, had presented at the department on 5 May 2005 with a head injury, which she said had been inflicted by her father.
Forbes also admitted failing to disclose her involvement with the case at a strategy meeting she chaired, which was convened following A's admission to hospital.
During the four-day hearing, Forbes told the committee that she had been "embarrassed" because she did not have all the information about the case and so decided to keep quiet about her part in A's case.
The General Social Care Council will publish further details about its decision later today.
Rotherham social worker found guilty of misconduct and removed from register
06/03/2008
A social worker has been removed from the Social Care Register by an independent committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC), after being found to have committed misconduct by forming an inappropriate personal relationship with a person who used services.
The committee, which concluded its hearing on 6 March, heard that Andrew Walker worked at the NCH Rotherham Bridges project between November 2004 and April 2006. Whilst working at the project, he began a personal relationship with a person who used services described during the hearing as ‘particularly vulnerable’. He later lived with the woman and they are now married.
By entering into such a relationship, the Committee said Walker had breached an important principle set out in the profession’s Code of Practice – which says that social workers should not form inappropriate relationships with people who use services. His work with the woman enabled him to have privileged contact with her and detailed knowledge of her personal circumstances and history.
The Committee concluded that this had created a significant imbalance of power between them which remained throughout the social worker’s relationship with the woman. Walker was found to have broken the Code of Practice a number of times, including the part which says that social workers should recognise and use responsibly the power that they have in relation to a person who uses services.
In addition, Walker was also found guilty of failing to inform the GSCC of changes to his employment and home address. This is also a requirement of being a registered Social Worker.
Sir Rodney Brooke, Chair of the GSCC, said: “All social workers sign up to a code when they register with us, which sets out very clearly the standards of conduct and practice expected of them. Social workers have a responsibility to make sure that their conduct does not fall below these standards and that no action on their part harms the wellbeing of people who use services.
The GSCC is committed to taking action against the small minority who fail to abide by our Code of Practice, in order to protect people who use services and uphold public confidence in the profession.”
A senior social worker has been struck off the professional register for putting children at risk by failing to allocate 90 cases for investigation.
The General Social Care Council (GSCC) said Joy Coles, 55, a team manager in the duty and assessment service at Leicester council's children's department, knowingly misled her managers about the number of unallocated cases, and backdated closing dates of other cases to cover her tracks.
In one instance, she took no action into allegations of physical abuse towards children in a family. The children were eventually put on the child protection register, but the committee said the delay could have put the children at risk of harm.
The GSCC said Coles also failed to allocate other child protection cases that should have been dealt with urgently. Her behaviour "called into question her suitability to remain on the register and also harmed the reputation and standing of the social care profession."
Coles was a team manager in Leicester for four years to November 2005.
The GSCC added: "By her persistent inaction and failures she placed children at risk of harm. She failed to safeguard vulnerable children. She was a team manager responsible for allocating cases and fundamentally failed in this regard."
Coles breached the code of practice for social care workers because "she put service users at risk, was dishonest, failed to communicate with managers about these issues, and was unreliable and lacked dependability."
Rosie Varley, chair of the GSCC, said: "All social workers sign up to a code of practice when they register with us and the majority of the 95,000 people on the social care register find no difficulty with being honest and upholding public confidence in the profession. It is vital that social workers do all they can to protect vulnerable people. Any concerns raised about a child's welfare should be taken seriously by a social worker, and we will take the appropriate action if we think children have been let down and put at further risk."
Coles has a right of appeal to an independent tribunal.
Barneley social worker struck off for suggestive comments
Published Date: 19 January 2010
A FORMER senior social worker from Barnsley was struck off the professional register for misconduct today.
Douglas Adams was assistant director of children's services at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council when he made a series of comments to four female colleagues, some of which were of a sexual nature, the General Social Care Council heard.
He was
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dismissed from his post in 2006 following a disciplinary investigation into a complaint made by one of the women, a pregnant administrative worker who said Adams suggested she should have an abortion.
The 56-year-old from Nottingham did not attend the two-day hearing in central London.
Allegations that Adams had a conversation with the pregnant woman, known as Ms D, during which he told her "it would be easy to have an abortion because her pregnancy was not that far gone" were found proved, along with other comments including suggesting she would end up with no job and would lose her figure.
In its decision, the conduct panel stated: "Although Ms D's evidence was hearsay, when he was interviewed by Ms (Deborah) Lightfoot on June 8 2006 the registrant did not deny the specific allegations which now form the basis of the formal allegation for the present proceedings.
"Further, he did not deny the specific allegations during the course of his disciplinary hearing on August 2 2006.
"The committee was impressed by the fact that Ms D herself did not appear to be motivated by malice or personal gain and did not wish the registrant to get into trouble."
Adams, who lost an appeal against his dismissal by Barnsley council, suggested during inquiries into Ms D's complaint that he had been trying to "shock" her into acknowledging the difficulties she could face as a young mother, the hearing was told.
The evidence of another woman, Ms A, that Adams told her he could imagine her in a "Miss Whiplash" outfit was also found proved.
Adams was meanwhile found to have told Ms A that an administrative worker - Ms B - was "completely off her head" and "all over the place" because she was undergoing fertility treatment.
According to the GSCC, Adams whispered an obscene comment into the ear of another female colleague - Ms C - during an office Christmas meal.
Suspending Adams from the GSCC register would not have been a sufficient sanction, according to the conduct committee.
In its decision it said "the right of potential colleagues to protection from abuse was more important than the registrant's own fortunes" and said Adams had shown "little insight into his repeated failings".
"The committee took into account evidence of the registrant's previous good character and some evidence of the registrant's apologies to Ms A," the decision stated.
"The committee also took into account the registrant's acknowledgement that his conversation with Ms D had been highly inappropriate.
"However, the committee was not satisfied that the registrant's proven behaviour was unlikely to be repeated."
The panel, chaired by Barry Picken, concluded: "The committee found that the registrant's behaviour demonstrated a blatant disregard for the values of social care standards set out in the code of practice for social care workers and that a removal order was the only proportionate sanction in the circumstances of this case."
A NORTH-EAST social worker has been struck off after claiming his son was a heroin user in order to have him moved into a house earmarked for ex-offenders.
Scottish social work regulators ruled that Edward Evans “seriously abused his position” in Aberdeen as a senior member of community safety charity Sacro.
It follows a disciplinary hearing which heard he had assigned his son a temporary home in the city despite not meeting the criteria.
Mr Evans, of Piper Place, Portlethen, moved his son to the front of Sacro’s waiting list by claiming he was embroiled in a “personal crisis” and was “frequently smoking heroin”. He went on to try to secure the property permanently for his son, attempting to hide his actions from colleagues in the process.
A Scottish Social Services Council disciplinary panel found he had committed misconduct by engaging “in a course of deception over a lengthy period” in securing an advantage for his son to which he was not entitled.
It said: “The registrant occupied a senior position of trust but seriously abused that position and the trust placed in him.”
Mr Evans refused to comment when asked about the findings by the Press and Journal.
The name and the address of the son in question are not known.
Mr Evans had been employed as a team leader at Sacro’s supported accommodation service in Aberdeen since November, 2006.
He was suspended by Sacro in October, 2008, pending an investigation into the claims and resigned five weeks later before the disciplinary proceedings had concluded.
robust
A spokesman for Sacro, which runs 25 tenancies for former offenders in the city, said: “Sacro follows robust disciplinary policies and procedures and places a high priority on the conduct of its staff.
“These policies and procedures are in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its staff, service users and the public.
“In the case referred to, Sacro immediately notified the Scottish Social Services Council of the suspension of an employee and have at all times assisted the council fully with their investigation of this case.”
The tenancy allocated by Mr Evans was provided by Aberdeen City Council, which contracts Sacro to help former offenders resettle in the community.
A spokesman for the local authority said: “Aberdeen City Council supports the work of the Scottish Social Services Council and the prompt action taken by Sacro.”
The social services council’s chief executive, Anna Fowlie, said: “It is essential that social workers act with integrity and honesty at all times.
“Mr Evans failed to follow procedures which are designed to promote and safeguard the wellbeing and safety of people who use services.”
An experienced social worker from Birmingham has been struck off after she failed to declare she had been convicted of theft.
The General Social Care Council (GSCC) also accepted an allegation that Verona Reeves threatened her landlords and the couple's children.
A GSCC conduct committee said Reeves' behaviour amounted to misconduct and said "such a grave case" necessitated her removal from the professional register.
The 48-year-old from Birmingham was convicted on December 18, 2006, at Dudley Magistrates' Court of one count of theft of a credit card, two counts of theft from cash machines and four counts of obtaining property by deception. A further 22 offences were taken into consideration, the GSCC heard.
The committee found Reeves failed to inform the GSCC of her criminal record when she applied for registration with the regulator.
She also continued to work for Birmingham City Council until May 2008 despite having her registration suspended for six months in March 2008. Reeves's dishonesty was "deliberate, systematic and prolonged" the committee concluded.
The allegation that she told her landlords words to the effect of "I know where you live and I know where your kids go to school and they better watch out" in June 2006 was also considered misconduct as the committee said it was "such seriously inappropriate behaviour for a member of the social work profession".
Neil Grant, presenting the case for the GSCC, said Reeves was a senior and experienced practitioner, particularly in the area of mental health, who had obtained a diploma in social work in 1989.
Between 1989 and 2003 she worked as a social worker in Birmingham and London, latterly at Enfield Council, but left to become a full-time mother in August 2003.
Mr Grant said, while it was not clear precisely when Reeves returned to work, by May 2007 she was employed by Birmingham City Council via the Bluecare recruitment agency but failed to mention her convictions when going through the GSCC registration process. Reeves, who did not attend the hearing, has 28 days to appeal.
Social worker is struck off for relationship with client
Published Date: 01 May 2009
By Tara Dundon
A SENIOR social worker who fathered two children with one of his vulnerable clients has been struck off.
A two-day General Social Care Council hearing heard that Richard Clasby (46) physically and sexually abused the woman during a four-year affair.
He admitted one allegation – that he had told her he would lose his job if she exposed their relationship – but was also accused of 11 offences related to drugs, aggressive behaviour, verbal abuse, threats to suffocate their child and demands for sex.
The hearing was told the pair entered into an affair and the woman, who cannot be named, claimed during their four years together he bullied her into silence and threatened to suffocate their children and commit suicide if their relationship was made public.
The committee found all the allegations had been proven.
In a joint statement, chief executive, of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust Karen Bell and Cambridgeshire County Council's executive director of community and adult services Rod Craig said: “This kind of behaviour will never be tolerated.
“We will do everything we can to ensure that such an incident does not happen again in Cambridgeshire
Social worker struck off after child sex offences
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Published Date: 17 July 2009
A SOCIAL worker has been struck off after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.
Kevin Mence (43), formerly of Walter Howes Crescent, Middleton, was employed as a social worker by Cambridgeshire County Council when the allegations came to light.
This week he was removed from the Social Care Register by an independent committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC).
Mence was jailed in November last year after Norwich Crown Court convicted him of twice sexually assaulting the girl, who was not his client.
He was also convicted of making indecent images of a child and possessing over 700 indecent images of children, some of which he distributed.
He was jailed for 16 months, placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and issued with a Disqualification Order preventing him from working with children.
The GSCC committee found Mence guilty of serious misconduct and said his offending behaviour represented a serious departure from the relevant standards in the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers that all social workers sign up to when they register with the GSCC.
It said that in order to protect vulnerable people and uphold public confidence in social care services the only appropriate sanction was immediate removal from the register.
Rosie Varley, chair of the GSCC, said: "All social workers have a responsibility to act appropriately and with integrity, abiding by the law and the GSCC code of practice.
"Thankfully the majority of the 80,000 registered social workers find no difficulty in complying with this. In order to maintain the safety of vulnerable people we take all matters of law breaking by social workers extremely seriously, and will not hesitate to apply the appropriate sanctions."
Mence waived his right to attend the GSCC hearing.
He was removed from the register with immediate effect.
Social workers 'drugs claim'
Chris Osuh
JUNE 15, 2009
TWO social workers have been arrested amid claims that one of them tried to sell cocaine to cops at a police party.
The women - who were employed by Manchester council - are alleged to have openly used cocaine in front of officers.
And one of them is said to have offered to sell some of the drug to them.
Now, one of the women, who was employed through an agency, has been sacked. The other has been suspended pending an internal investigation.
The party was held by Greater Manchester Police for people involved in child protection work. Social workers were invited.
It is understood that days later police searched Elizabeth House, a children’s services district office in Openshaw, and another district office in Manchester in front of shocked staff.
It is believed that sincein the aftermath of the arrests, senior management have been overseeing work in both premises.
Pauline Newman, director of children’s services at Manchester council, said: “A member of social work staff has been suspended pending investigation into allegations involving drug misuse during an after-hours staff celebration away from the office.
The allegations are also subject to a police investigation.
“The allegations also involved an agency worker whose contract has now been terminated. We expect the highest standards of behaviour from our staff and our actions reflect that we take these allegations very seriously.”
The women could face further disciplinary action from their profession’s regulatory body, the General Social Care Council. Greater Manchester Police said:“On Thursday May 28 2009, police in north Manchester arrested two women on suspicion of drugs offences.
“A 27-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession and supply of a class A drug.
"A 31-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of possession of a class A drug. Both were bailed until Wednesday 29 July 29, pending further inquiries.”
Sefton council social worker on child porn and abuse charge
A SEFTON Council social worker has appeared in court on child sex offence charges following the investigation into paedophile Colin Blanchard.
Care practitioner Tracy Dawber, 43, of Guildford Road, Southport, faced the allegations early yesterday morning at South Sefton Magistrates’ Court in Bootle, where she was hauled before JPs.
The 11 charges are as a result of an alleged link to 38-year-old Blanchard, a former Information Technology salesman who is originally from the Norris Green area of Liverpool.
Dawber, who was immediately suspended by Sefton Council from her role as a community care practitioner, faces four counts of possessing indecent images of children.
She faces five counts of permitting indecent images of children to be made and one charge of sexual assault on a child under 13.
She also faces a further count of facilitating the sexual assault of a child.
The mother pleaded not guilty to all counts during the hearing.
Charges against her are not linked to the Little Teds Nursery in Plymouth.
That case sparked massive public outrage and Blanchard admitted a string of child abuse offences at Bristol crown court last month alongside nursery worker Vanessa George and Angela Allen, both 39.
Blanchard, from Smallbridge, near Rochdale, Greater Manchester, is currently awaiting sentence alongside George, of Plymouth, and Allen, from Nottingham
Dawber was yesterday remanded in custody to appear before a committal hearing before JPs on December 30.
She wore a long black jumper and clutched her side in the secure glass- panelled dock throughout the hearing.
Chairman of the magistrates’ bench Mr David Dixon took the decision to refuse her bail.
The trial will be held at Liverpool crown court.
Dawber will appear by video link at the committal hearing.
She worked at Southport general hospital on behalf of Sefton Council as a community practitioner for some time.
And neighbours, who describe her as “pleasant”, say that she suffers from pain in both her legs and feet and she has recently put on lots of weight.
It is believed that Dawber is from a big family and has a number of siblings.
Her mother is of Irish descent and her father, who died last year, was originally from the Liverpool area.
A spokesman for Sefton Council told the Visiter last night that Dawber was suspended from her role and the authority is co-operating with the police with their enquiries.
He said: “As soon as we were made aware of these allegations a community care practitioner was immediately suspended.
“This person’s role involved assessing adults in hospital with a view to providing care support when patients return to the community.”
He added: “We are co-operating fully with the police and will be unable to comment further for legal reasons.”
Superintendent Peter Edge of Merseyside Police said: “Yesterday (Wednesday) a 43-year-old women from Southport was charged with a number of offences relating to possessing and making indecent images of a child and sexual activity with a child.
“She appeared in the magistrates court today and has been remanded in custody.
“I cannot comment on the investigation or go into any details of the case. The investigation is ongoing.
“However, we have received a number of calls today from concerned members of the public who thought she may have worked with children in the area.
“I would like to reassure people that the woman involved in this case does not work at a local nursery or school.”
Council employed social worker Lynda Barnes who hired a hitman
Lynda Barnes, who tried to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband
A council has apologised for employing a senior social worker knowing that she had previously been found guilty of hiring a hitman to kill her husband.
Lynda Barnes was hired by Bath and North East Somerset Council after giving a “highly sanitised” version of events that led to her receiving a two-year suspended jail sentence for conspiracy to murder.
The truth came to light only when a judge hearing a child protection case was told that she had tried to persuade a colleague to lie under oath.
As a result of Judge Paul Barclay’s investigation Mrs Barnes, 55, has lost her job and the council has had to conduct an urgent review of all the child protection cases in which she was involved.
In 1995 Mrs Barnes pleaded guilty to offering an undercover policeman £10,000 to kill her estranged former husband.
After her conviction she was dismissed from her job as a social worker with Avon County Council.
But in 2005 she was hired as an assistant team leader by its successor authority, Bath and North East Somerset, and was subsequently promoted.
The council admitted yesterday that it had made a mistake in employing her and apologised to the families involved in the 17 cases that have been reviewed. It insists that no children had been wrongly removed from their families as a result of Mrs Barnes’s involvement.
Her previous conviction emerged during a child protection case at Bath County Court last June when she allegedly lied on oath and asked another social worker to do the same.
She was accused of lying to cover up the fact that assessments had not been completed for the two children involved in the case or the family member intowhose care they were being transferred.
A council spokesman said: “The council admits it made a mistake in employing Lynda Barnes. The council has apologised to the families involved for the conduct of Lynda Barnes and it has also offered an apology to the court. Lynda Barnes lied to the court under oath. She also asked one of our other social workers to do the same.”
Mrs Barnes was originally arrested in July 1993 after arranging a meeting with a hitman using the name Peter who turned out to be an undercover policeman. The pair met in a service station on the M4 and she asked him to kill her former husband Rodney. She planned to sell his motorcycle to pay for the hit, her trial at Bristol Crown Court was told.
She initially denied conspiracy to murder but changed her plea to guilty on the second day of the trial. She received a suspended sentence.
After her dismissal from her job with Avon County Council she tried to take the authority to an employment tribunal but the case was thrown out.
Bath and North East Somerset Council is now considering further action. A spokesman said: “A further investigation will take place. We have looked again at our systems and found that they are correct but need more rigorous enforcement.
“The council takes its responsibilities extremely seriously and is determined to prevent mistakes like this happening again.”
Chris Watt, Cabinet member for children’s services, said: “It was a mistake to employ Lynda Barnes and one that we regret. I asked for a review of cases where Lynda Barnes had a significant involvement and am satisfied that no children have been unfairly removed from their families.”
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