Lewd comments social worker has ban extended

A social worker accused of making lewd comments about Cumbria’s director of children’s services has had his professional ban extended for a further six months.

Barry Clifford Lloyd, 54, had been suspended from working as a social worker after admitting a series of drunken or inappropriate incidents during a three-year period while employed by Cumbria County Council.

The original sentence was imposed by the General Social Care Council more than two years ago, but the Conduct and Competence Committee of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) has decided to extend this for a further six months.

A report from that hearing states: “This case concerned a diverse set of facts, some of which took place between February 2008 and March 2011, when the registrant was under the influence of alcohol, and also related to criminal convictions that all related to his behaviour when under the influence of alcohol.

“The conduct included making inappropriate comments to senior and peer staff at the Cumbria County Council where he worked as a social worker, breaching confidentiality and convictions for breach of the peace, being drunk and disorderly, driving with excess alcohol, breach of a restraining order and harassment of a police officer.”

The committee heard all the evidence, including the “considerable health element within the misconduct findings on the original case”.

However, the panel also noted that Lloyd had not “sent in any additional material to show this panel that he has taken into account his inappropriate behaviour and that he has tried to rectify it”.

In its ruling the panel described it as a “serious case of inappropriate behaviour” and, while in February 2012 there had been some evidence that Lloyd had taken measures to stay alcohol-free, it had been given no reassurance that he would not reoffend.

“This panel is of the view that a further short period of suspension of six months would provide this registrant with the necessary time and evidence, if he so chooses, to persuade any future review panel that he is now fit to practise,” members ruled.