‘Serious failings’ see social worker suspended

AN Oldham social worker has been suspended for a year from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register for misconduct.

Amanda Wild was found guilty of not doing her job properly while she was working in the fostering team at Oldham Council.

Her suspension at the end of a three-day disciplinary hearing in London follows an HCPC disciplinary panel finding that among other things she failed to file a fostering assessment report at court on time and that when she did file it later it was inadequate.

The panel also found that in another case she had failed to prioritise statutory checks in line with instructions and did not ensure that statutory checks had arrived from the GP involved.

She was dismissed from her job by Oldham Council for gross misconduct following an investigation.

However, in written evidence to the disciplinary panel she claimed she was not to blame for her failings and accused the management and colleagues at the council of failing to give her the support needed.

But the panel found that her failings did amount to misconduct and said it had decided that a year’s suspension would be the appropriate course to take although it had considered the possibility of striking her off altogether.

It says in its findings that Ms Wild was an experienced social worker who had worked in fields which included fostering for several years and that failings, occurring over several months and involving different service users, “were sufficiently serious as to amount to misconduct.”

Ray Pattison, chair of the disciplinary panel said: “The panel finds that Ms Wild does not acknowledge her fundamental responsibility to carry out her duties.

“These are serious failings, affecting or potentially affecting vulnerable service users, including looked after children and their families.”