A social worker has been thrown out of the profession after the profession’s watchdog ruled her guilty of “premeditated and deliberate” failures that left a series of disabled kids at risk of “significant harm”.
Helen O’Reilly “abused the trust” placed in her when she worked as a social worker in Aberdeen for 18 years, the Scottish Social Services Council ruled.
She put one child at “unnecessary risk” by failing to convene a conference with other professionals to discuss the case of a child who had been reported as coming to school in clothes covered in dog faeces, bruises and without essential medication.
In another she failed to follow up “concerns” of sexual abuse of a child, identified only as MM, by a family member.
In other cases she failed to keep any records of visits for some kids – while in one case where she was the lead social worker for a child she recorded just one phone call in 13 years.
A SSSC fitness to practice panel heard seven days of evidence at their Dundee HQ earlier this month.
In a damning written judgement they removed Miss O’Reilly from the register of social workers.
They said her failings spanned 18 years from 1997 until 2015 and covered 20 “vulnerable” children – most of whom were disabled.
The panel said: “The panel was persuaded on the evidence that your behaviour had significant harmful consequences for the service users for whom you were the allocated social worker and lead professional.
“The panel considered there was potential for significant harm in all of the cases.
“The panel noted that you were the allocated social worker with lead responsibility for the care and protection of the 20 service users.
“These service users were all children who by their nature are vulnerable.
“Further, the majority of these children had disabilities which could be considered to be an additional risk factor.
“Because of the aggravating factors set out in the Panel’s decision on impairment, particularly the serious nature of the allegations, the pattern of behaviour over such an extended period and number of cases, your abuse of your position of trust, the potential harm to and the harm caused to service users and the finding that your behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with professional registration, the panel considered this to be a case in which serious action is required.
“Your behaviour was very serious and constituted a pattern of premeditated and deliberate acts with no concern for the possible consequences.
“It involved a significant breach of trust.
“It represents a sustained pattern of unacceptable behaviour.
“There was little evidence of remediation.
“There are serious public protection and public interest concerns.
“Your actions demonstrate a serious disregard for your duties and responsibilities as a social service worker.”