Lancashire social worker suspended over child safeguarding failures

Social worker Diane Cleasby has been suspended from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Register for one year on grounds of misconduct after putting vulnerable service users at risk of harm on four separate occasions whilst employed by Lancashire County Council.

A panel of the HCPC Conduct and Competence Committee heard that as Team Manager in the Integrated Assessment and Support Team (IA&S Team) for Burnley, Mrs Cleasby held the responsibility of supervising and managing a team of social workers who would provide a frontline service in assessing children and families.

The Panel further heard that Mrs Cleasby was suspended from her role in July 2012 following grave concerns in relation to her management of a number of cases. These involved failing to investigate the alleged sexual abuse of a child service user; and not initiating care proceedings or seeking legal advice to safeguard a child who had been referred with a possible non accidental injury.

Panel Chair Sarah Baalham commented: “The matters found proved represented four separate occasions when Mrs Cleasby’s acts or omissions put vulnerable service users at risk of harm. A number of children from different families were left without adequate safeguards. These are serious omissions which fell far short of what is expected of a registered social worker in the circumstances.”

The Panel decided the most appropriate sanction was to impose a one year suspension order.

Mrs Cleasby was not present or represented at the hearing.