Social worker “sent lewd texts to women he was representing”

A SOCIAL worker faces being struck off for allegedly sending lewd text messages to colleagues.

Jonathan Moffat has been charged by his professional body with sending text messages “of a sexual nature” to female colleagues he was representing as a UNISON shop steward.

The 46-year-old, who worked with Dundee council, has also been charged with crashing his car while three times over the limit last year.

The care manager was fined £600 by a sheriff over the drunken smash and now the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) alleges the incident amounts to professional misconduct.

The charges state that, between February and October 2010, UNISON steward Mr Moffat sent “inappropriate text messages, including text messages of a sexual nature, to two female employees… of Dundee City Council whom he was representing.”

Court

He is also charged with breaching confidentiality by telling one of the two women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, he was representing the other.

On 29 September last year, at Forfar Sheriff Court, Mr Moffat pled guilty to driving while drunk and losing control of a vehicle.

Sheriff Kevin Veal fined Mr Moffat a total of £600, banned him from driving for two years, and ordered him to take part in a rehabilitation course.

He was almost three times over the limit when his Renault Clio crashed on the unclassified road from Brechin to Findowrie, near Pittendriech, Angus.

The care manager was also convicted of driving a car without a valid MOT certificate. He was admonished on this charge.

Child

But Mr Moffat pled not guilty to a charge of having a child in the car while under the unfluence, which was accepted by Sheriff Veal.

The SSSC has decided to bring professional misconduct charges against him over the accident.

They allege that he injured a child, named only as “AA”, in the car crash.

The SSSC say the car “left the road and overturned, causing injury to AA aged 10.”

The hearing, which will be held in Dundee later this week, is scheduled to last two days.

Investigate

A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: “This individual no longer works for the council.”

Margaret McGuire, head of the UNISON branch for Dundee council, said:

“We cannot comment on individual cases but UNISON takes all allegations seriously.

“If any member were to come forward with evidence to support these claims then we would investigate the matter thoroughly.”