A woman has been removed from the Social Care Register by an independent committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) after her own children were considered at risk of abuse and put on the Child Protection Register.

The Committee heard the case under the health procedure, which is applied when the health of the social worker was the cause of, or a significant factor in, the misconduct that took place. The hearing was held in private to protect personal details about the woman’s health and she is referred to as ‘Ms X’ to protect the identities of her children.

Ms X faced a list of allegations of misconduct, including that her actions contributed to her two sons being placed on the Child Protection Register on two separate occasions for being at risk of emotional and physical harm, that she was charged by the police for road traffic offences and that she had been dishonest when applying for a new job by failing to tell employers she had been sacked from her previous post. She also failed to notify the GSCC of the dismissal and her convictions which the Committee found to be dishonest.

The Committee also heard that, while under the influence of alcohol, Ms X had bitten her 16-year-old son on the arm. As a result of this, the woman’s 13-month-old grandchild was placed on the Child Protection Register after being considered at risk of physical harm.

The Committee decided that the behaviour of Ms X was so serious that the only appropriate sanction was removal from the Register. They said the allegation consisted of 26 separate parts, all of a serious nature, which were repeated over a prolonged period and there was a significant risk of repeating behaviour. They found she had breached the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers which all social workers sign up to when they register with GSCC.

Ms X was removed from the Register immediately which means she can no longer practise social work. Social workers have a right of appeal to the independent First-tier Tribunal (Care Standards).

Further details about this and previous hearings can be found on the GSCC’s website including the Notice of Decision for this case.