Vale of Glamorgan social worker suspended for one year for placing children at risk
A social worker has been suspended for one year after a fitness to practise hearing found his fitness to practise was impaired because of his repeated failings.
The hearing heard that Michael Sira-Parfitt failed to complete a number of vital assessments, didn’t make essential referrals and failed to make regular visits to some families, placing some of the children involved at risk of harm.
The allegations surrounded Mr Sira-Parfitt’s employment by the Children’s Services Department at the Vale of Glamorgan Council between November 2014 and May 2016.
The committee heard from a number of witnesses, including Mr Sira-Parfitt who was present at the four-day hearing at our Cardiff office last week.
Having heard all the evidence, the committee concluded that Mr Sira-Parfitt’s fitness to practise was impaired because of his misconduct and that he failed to meet a number of standards in the Code of Professional Practice for Social Care.
The committee said: “We determined that Mr Sira-Parfitt repeatedly failed to carry out basic tasks over a long period in a significant number of cases. He clearly had the skills and experience to perform the work to a good standard as the witnesses acknowledged…
“[His omissions] formed a prolonged pattern of behaviour and Mr Sira-Parfitt made it very clear during the fact finding stage of these proceedings that he accepts little or no responsibility for any failings.”
The committee chose to impose a one-year Suspension Order, starting from 24 October 2017, saying: “We decided that suspension for one year will serve to mark that Mr Sira-Parfitt’s omissions were unacceptable and will afford him the opportunity to reflect on his future practice.”
Picture (c) Google Maps.
