Care boss used position to seduce vulnerable woman in his office

A SOCIAL work boss has quit in disgrace after seducing a vulnerable woman in his care.

Phil Bennett, 49, has been struck off after wooing her with sleazy emails and sleeping with her in his office at the care centre where he was manager.

In a damning report, the Scottish Social Services Council warned the married dad-of-two – a devout Baptist – could target other women if allowed to remain a social worker.

The social work watchdog concluded: “As a consequence of his behaviour, the complainant suffered actual harm.

“The SSSC were concerned there was a genuine risk to members of the public (including service users).

“He abused his position of power and trust and had not expressed any remorse for his actions.

“The SCCC were not satisfied that he would not act in a similar manner in the future.”

Bennett began working at Orkney Carers Centre in Kirkwall, in August 2008. He was also manager of Crossroads (Orkney), who are based in the same building and offer “emotional support for carers”.

Bennett often met the woman – identified only as AA – as she cared for her husband and son.

The SCCC report stated: “AA was socially isolated as a result of being new to the community and her role as a carer.

During a meeting with AA on 27 May 2009, he discussed extra marital sex which was inappropriate and breached professional boundaries.

“He engaged in a course of email correspondence from his personal email to AA’s address between June 4 and August 15, 2009, the content of which included graphic sexual references.

“He failed to advise his employers when AA contacted him and expressed a desire to pursue a non-professional relationship with him.

“He failed to terminate contact with AA when she began disclosing inappropriate personal information about herself and her private life.

“He allowed the relationship to develop such that he had sexual intercourse with the complainant at his place of work.

“As a result of his relationship with AA, she suffered emotional harm. He breached the professional boundaries of a social service worker providing a service to a service user.”

Bennett – an active member of the Baptist Church in Stromness – quit his job with Orkney’s social work department last August when the affair came to light. He also quit as a director of the Orkney Citizens Advice Bureau.

The SCCC added: “His behaviour was fundamentally incompatible with his duties as a social worker.

“It demonstrated a serious lack of judgment. It was a grave departure from the codes of practice for social workers.

“The correspondence from him demonstrated a lack of understanding of both the serious nature of the misconduct and the harm that was caused to the complainant.”

Last week, the Sunday Mail tracked down Bennett to Southampton where he has a new job as housing officer for the city council. His wife Val remains 750 miles away on Orkney.

When we confronted the shamed social worker on Friday, he admitted keeping his sleazy past secret from his new employers.

He said: “Southampton City Council does not need to know about my past because this has nothing to do with my social work.

“The investigation has been ongoing while I had this job. I didn’t feel the need to declare it.

“The SSSC’s findings were incorrect. They said I didn’t feel remorse but that is not true.

The way the council asks you questions in their jargon makes it sound like I didn’t.

“No one came to ask me specifically if I felt remorse. If they had asked me, I would have said yes.”

But Bennett’s new bosses suspended him on Friday and launched a probe.

A Southampton City Council spokesman said: “Staff who work with vulnerable people are Criminal Records Bureau checked.

“The safety of our tenants is of paramount importance to us. As a result of allegations received today, a member of staff has been suspended pending further investigation.”

Orkney Islands Council declined to comment.