A Registered Social Worker will appear before an independent committee of the workforce regulator the General Social Care Council (GSCC) next week, following an allegation of misconduct.

The man faces a number of allegations about his conduct when he was working as an Approved Social Worker, a person who undertakes specific roles and duties as required by mental health legislation.

He is alleged to have breached the GSCC’s Code of Practice for Social Care Workers by:
• having sexual intercourse with a person who use services
• having sexual activity with another person who uses services
• sending sexually explicit and inappropriate emails to colleagues.
• failing to dispose of surplus medicine used by a person who uses services in the proper manner
• retaining some loose medication for personal use.

The hearing will take place from 7 – 11 July 2008 at Providian House in London and will start on the Monday at 10am.

All social workers agreed to abide by a Code of Practice when they register with the GSCC. The independent conduct committee can take action against a registered social worker if they are found to have breached the Code of Practice. They could be removed from the register if the panel feel they are no longer suitable to be a Registered Social Worker.

Notes to editors:
1. For media enquiries about the hearing, please contact Liz Hutchinson on 020 7397 5832. ( out of hours: 07876 440838)

2. If you wish to attend you must contact the GSCC beforehand, on the numbers given above. You may not be able to enter the hearing if you have not informed the GSCC that you will be attending.

3. To protect the confidentiality of witnesses (including children), who cannot be identified, limited information is available before the hearing. Some of the hearing may be held in private.

4. Conduct Committees are independent of the GSCC and are made up of three to five members. They have a majority of lay members who do not have a background in the delivery of social care services.