Social Worker Struck Off Over ‘Sexually Offensive’ Emails

A Southampton social worker has been struck off after sending sexually offensive e-mails to colleagues, including cartoons of child abuse.

A Conduct Committee of the General Social Care Council sitting in the city banned Nicholas Martin from working as a social worker after finding him guilty of misconduct.

The committee was told the e-mails ranged from photographs of women in sexually provocative poses often with accompanying derogatory and sexually explicit text to written ‘jokes’ stereotyping different nationalities.

There were also cartoons depicting child sexual abuse and other cartoon images accompanied by obscene text, the hearing heard.

Martin worked for the city council, and the committee decided that he should be removed from the Social Care Register with immediate effect.

The two-day hearing heard Martin had sent and received on his work server a significant number of “inappropriate e-mails which were offensive, profane and of a sexual nature”.

Martin now has the right of appeal to the independent Care Standards Tribunal over the committee’s decision.

GSCC Chairman 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.”

A spokeswoman for Southampton City Council said Martin had been sacked after the hearing.