Conduct Hearings Archive 2008

Click on the titles below to access notices from conduct hearings concluded in 2008. Decisions from hearings concluded in other years can be accessed from the Hearings Archives on the left side of this page. Conduct decisions can also be searched according to Registrant Name.

You can use the Check the NISCC Register function on this website to confirm if a person is currently registered with the NISCC. If the details you are searching for are not found or if you require further information about a sanction made against a registrant, contact the NISCC Enquiries Team for adviceTel: 028 9041 7600 or email: info@nisocialcarecouncil.org.uk

20/06/08

Social Worker (James Patrick Loughrey Registration Number NI/1100571) Suspended by NI Social Care Conduct Committee

A Conduct Committee of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) which met on 20 June 2008 decided the case of a social worker who was alleged to have breached the NISCC Code of Practice for Social Workers by:

(a) failing to make any or any adequate reports to the Causeway Social Services Trust regarding unallocated childcare referrals; and

(b) failing to carry out operational responsibilities so that childcare referrals were permitted to reach critical levels.

The committee concluded that these were serious charges involving potential risk to vulnerable children and such conduct seriously breached the NISCC Codes of Practice.

Misconduct was found against the Registrant, Mr James Patrick Loughrey (Registration Number NI/1100571) and the Committee, having carefully considered the evidence placed before it, including the mitigation, the testimonials and the medical advice, decided that the appropriate and proportionate sanction in this case was to suspend the registrant’s registration for a period of 12 months. 

Suspension of the registrant’s registration means he is not able to practise in social care. The Committee considered that this sanction would protect the interests of the public and promote public confidence in the Council.

27/02/08

Social Care Worker (Martin Noel McCann Registration Number NI/1099195) Admonished by NI Social Care Conduct Committee

A Conduct Committee of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) which met on 27 February 2008 decided the case of a social care worker who was alleged to have breached the NISCC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers by acting contrary to a specific instruction from his manager as well as submitting a falsified receipt to his employer for accommodation which he did not use.

Misconduct was found against the Registrant, Mr Martin Noel McCann (Registration Number NI/1099195) and he was admonished (cautioned) with a record of the admonishment placed against his registration on the Social Care Register for a period of five years.

In arriving at the decision to admonish Mr McCann, the Committee concluded that by not following a direct instruction to stay in approved accommodation whilst accompanying a service user on a trip and subsequently submitting a falsified receipt, he had breached the Code of Practice in that he had not been honest and trustworthy, reliable and dependable and did not carry out his duties in a lawful, safe and effective way.

When making their decision, the committee took into account Mr McCann’s twelve years service as a social care worker. They recognised that his action of submitting a falsified receipt was not motivated by personal financial gain and although they did consider the potential risks involved, they concluded that the service user was not exposed to risk or harm and no risk or harm to the public had resulted.

Dr Jeremy Harbison, NISCC Chair, said:

“Registration with the Council requires each registrant to make a personal and professional commitment to high standards in their conduct and practice. Social care workers, like all those registered with the NISCC, must be reliable and dependable. They have a duty to act appropriately at all times and must not bring the profession into disrepute.”

19/02/08

Social Care Worker (Jennifer Margaret Scott Registration Number NI/1099407) Admonished by NI Social Care Conduct Committee

A Conduct Committee of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) which met on 19 February 2008 decided the case of a social care worker who was alleged to have breached the NISCC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers by administering a contraceptive injection to a resident when she was not qualified to do so.

Misconduct was found against the Registrant, Mrs Jennifer Margaret Scott (Registration Number NI/1099407) and she was admonished (cautioned) with a record of the admonishment placed against her registration on the Social Care Register for a period of five years.

In arriving at the decision to admonish Mrs Scott, the Committee concluded that by administering a contraceptive injection when she was not qualified to do so, Mrs Scott breached the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers, in that her actions did not meet relevant standards of practice which required her to work in a lawful, safe and effective way.

The Committee took into account that the Registrant had co-operated fully throughout the proceedings, had admitted to the charge and accepted that her actions amounted to misconduct. They noted that Mrs Scott believed that she acted in the best interest of the service user; that her openness, honesty and remorse was evident; and that she took full responsibility for her actions.

Dr Jeremy Harbison, NISCC Chair, said:

“Registration with the Council requires each registrant to make a personal and professional commitment to high standards in their conduct and practice.  Social care workers, like all those registered with the NISCC, must be reliable and dependable.  They have a duty to act appropriately at all times and must not bring the profession into disrepute.”

“The establishment of the NISCC Social Care Register is a major step towards improving and maintaining standards in social work and social care. There are over 200,000 people using social care services in Northern Ireland and they can now have confidence that the small number of workers registered with the NISCC who do not meet our minimum standards, will be held accountable and can be cautioned or removed from the Register where the Council deems it necessary to protect the public from poor standards of conduct or practice.”

06/02/08

Social Work Student (Paul Gilroy Registration Number NI/1133327) Admonished by NI Social Care Conduct Committee

A Conduct Committee of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) on 6 February 2008 decided the case of a social work student from Belfast who was alleged to have breached the NISCC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers by failing to notify the Social Security Agency of a change in circumstances that affected his entitlement to Jobseeker's Allowance, an offence for which he was prosecuted and convicted.

Misconduct was found against the Registrant, Mr Paul Gilroy (Registration Number NI/1133327) and he was admonished (cautioned) with a record of the admonishment placed against his registration on the Social Care Register for a period of five years.

In arriving at the decision to admonish Mr Gilroy, the Committee concluded that intentionally committing fraud was a serious offence which breached the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers. Mr Gilroy had breached the requirements of the Code that Registrants must be honest and trustworthy and that their behaviour in work or outside work must not call into question their suitability to work in social care.

The Committee took into account that the Registrant had co-operated fully throughout the proceedings, had admitted to the charge and accepted that his actions amounted to misconduct. They noted that Mr Gilroy, in his statement to the Committee, had acknowledged he was wholly responsible for his actions, despite the mitigating circumstances he was experiencing at the time the fraud occurred and that he has repaid the amount owed to the Social Security Agency and completed the Community Service that the court had imposed as part of his sentence. The Committee also took into account that there was no other incident on the Registrant's record; that the university where he is currently studying social work had provided a positive reference on his behalf and that no service user was harmed or placed at risk as a result of his actions. In deciding to admonish Mr Gilroy, the Committee considered this was an appropriate sanction which reflected the seriousness of the breach of the Code of Practice.

Dr Jeremy Harbison, NISCC Chair, said:

"Registration with the Council requires each registrant to make a personal and professional commitment to high standards in their conduct. Social work students, like all those registered with the NISCC, must be honest and trustworthy. They have a duty to act appropriately at all times and must not bring the profession into disrepute."

"The establishment of the NISCC Social Care Register is a major step towards improving and maintaining standards in social work and social care. There are over 200,000 people using social care services in Northern Ireland and they can now have confidence that the small number of workers registered with the NISCC who do not meet our minimum standards, will be held accountable and can be cautioned or removed from the Register where the Council deems it necessary to protect the public from poor standards of conduct or practice."

21/01/08

Social Care Worker (Karen Sandra McConnell Registration Number NI/1135802) Removed from the NI Social Care Register

A Conduct Committee of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) on 21 January 2008 decided the case of a social care worker from Belfast who was alleged to have breached the NISCC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers by sleeping on duty and having failed to check on a service user at the appropriate time.

Misconduct was found against the Registrant, Ms Karen Sandra McConnell (Registration Number NI/1135802) and she was removed from the Social Care Register.

In arriving at the decision to remove the Registrant from the Register, the Committee regarded that sleeping on duty and consequently failing to check service users in her care at the appropriate time was a most serious breach of the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers. The Committee decided that although removing Ms McConnell from the NISCC Social Care Register has serious consequences, it was necessary to reflect the seriousness of the breach; Ms McConnell had breached the requirements in the Code that Registrants must be honest, trustworthy, reliable and dependable; and that they must not abuse, neglect or harm service users, carers or colleagues. She was also found to have behaved in a way that called into question her suitability to work in social care services and she had not met relevant standards of practice. The Committee took into account that the Registrant did not contest the charge and she had agreed that it was wrong to sleep whilst on duty. Ms McConnell did not make any representation to the Committee or present evidence of mitigating factors relating to this case.

Dr Jeremy Harbison, NISCC Chair, said:

"Registration with the Council requires each worker to make a personal and professional commitment to high standards in their training and practice. Social care workers have a vital role in supporting and protecting the needs of older people, people with a disability, children and families; helping them to live as safely and independently as possible. Registrants must be honest, reliable and dependable. They have a duty to act appropriately at all times and must not neglect or place service users, colleagues or themselves under unnecessary risk."

"The establishment of the NISCC Social Care Register is a major step towards improving and maintaining standards in social work and social care. There are over 200,000 people using social care services in Northern Ireland and they can now have confidence that the small number of workers registered with the NISCC who do not meet our minimum standards, will be held accountable and can be cautioned or removed from the Register where the Council deems it necessary to protect the public from poor standards of conduct or practice."