A social worker has been cautioned after an independent committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) found misconduct against her for failing to store and maintain records containing sensitive information.
An admonishment was placed on Jacqueline Mullins’ entry to the Social Care Register for two years after it was found that whilst working for Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council she failed to complete case note recordings, documents were not on file, and her file management was disorganised and out of date.
The committee, which concluded its hearing on 16 April, noted that whilst social workers must take responsibility for their own practice and rectify their shortfalls, a combination of high workload and poor supervision had exacerbated Ms Mullins’ existing administrative shortcomings. This had caused her to get trapped in a cycle of disorganisation.
In coming to their conclusion on what action to take, the committee noted that Ms Mullins was not a direct risk to the public or people who use services.
Sir Rodney Brooke, Chair of the GSCC, said: “When social workers register with the GSCC they sign up to a code of practice which sets out the standards of conduct expected of them. Because of their unique position of responsibility in society, it is essential that all social workers uphold and maintain professional standards of practice. In instances where these standards are not met it is the GSCC’s responsibility, as regulator of the social care workforce, to take action to protect the public and uphold confidence in the profession.”
Social workers have a right of appeal to the independent Care Standards Tribunal (CST).