Social Worker Admonished Following Conduct Hearing In Birmingham

A Conduct Committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) decided the case of a social worker from Rugby who was alleged to have breached the code of practice for social care workers by engaging in inappropriate touching and physical contact with service users.

Misconduct was found against the registrant, Eric Charlesworth, and he was admonished, with a record of the admonishment to be placed on his entry in the Social Care Register for a period of five years.

The Committee found that the registrant had engaged in inappropriate touching and physical contact (albeit in a non-sexual manner) in relation to service users. In doing so, the Committee decided that the registrant had failed to use responsibly the power that came from his role in relation to service users and had put himself and service users at unnecessary risk.

In determining the sanction of admonishment, the Committee took into account the fact that there was no direct evidence of harm to service users and that the conduct in question took place over a relatively short period of time. The record of the five year admonishment on his registration can be accessed by future employers and service users through the Social Care Register.

Registrants have a right of appeal to the independent Care Standards Tribunal. GSCC Chair Rodney Brooke said: “Social workers have a duty to act appropriately at all times, respecting the rights of service users and protecting them from abuse as set out in our Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers and Employers. All Registered Social Workers sign up to the codes of practice when they register with the GSCC.

“Social workers working with vulnerable people essentially should be trustworthy and of good character.  The GSCC exists to promote high standards among social care workers and can take action against those who do not meet the standards laid down in the codes of practice. At the same time, we applaud the many thousands of social care workers who meet those standards and do so much to help vulnerable people.”

Admonishment by the GSCC amounts to a caution and public record. The decision follows the Conduct Committee hearing in Birmingham.