Social Worker Removed From Register Following Conduct Hearing
A Conduct Committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) has decided the case of a social worker from Southampton who was alleged to have breached the code of practice for social care workers by sending and receiving several emails from his work email account containing offensive, discriminatory and obscene content.
Misconduct was found against the registrant, Mr Nicholas Martin, the Committee decided that he should be removed from the Social Care Register with immediate effect.
The Committee found that Mr Martin had sent and received a significant number of inappropriate emails which were offensive, profane and of a sexual nature. Mr Martin had failed to demonstrate appropriate insight and understanding of his actions and exhibited disregard for the values of social work and contempt for particular groups of people for whom social workers have a responsibility. The Committee considered that his actions were a serious breach of the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers.
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 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.”
Being removed from the register means that the person will not be able to work as a social worker. The decision follows a two day Conduct Committee hearing in Southampton.
