Conduct Committee reports ‘serious management failures’ in GSCC suspension case

Supervision practices at North Somerset Council have been criticised by the General Social Care Council in its decision to suspend a social worker for two years.

The conduct committee found A.H Alam, a supervising social worker in the fostering team, had committed misconduct by failing to keep up-to-date records for 13 families but it said: “There had been some serious management failures in her supervision.”

In its decision, the committee added: “The registrant’s records had not been audited by a number of supervisors and her record keeping had not been assessed.”

The committee heard Ms Alam was suffering personal difficulties that affected her work performance between April 2009 and April 2010 but an allegation that she had failed to inform her employer about her problems was not proved.

In addition to failing to keep up-to-date records, she had also not carried out annual reviews for the fostering panel on 12 families and had bought a jumper for Child A and given him £20, but had not claimed the money back from the council.

She had also made arrangements for the boy to spend a night at her home and told his foster carer that she had authorization from the council when she did not. But the committee concluded: “The registrant was a good social worker. Child A felt she had given him good support,” adding: “Although not recorded, the registrant knew the detail of her cases and there had been no criticism from any of the witnesses from North Somerset Council, who gave evidence of her work undertaken.”

It recommended that Ms Alam receive appropriate training and guidance on maintaining professional boundaries and recording practices.