Newcastle social worker admonished by GSCC

A social worker from Newcastle who failed to respond in an emergency when a mental health service user needed immediate attention has been admonished by the General Social Care Council.

Gayle Baxter admitted misconduct, declaring that she had failed to inform the emergency services of the service user’s mental health history and her employer of the incident.

The GSCC’s conduct committee said Baxter had accepted responsibility for these failures from the outset. It also found Baxter had an otherwise unblemished record and there was no evidence to show the risk to the service user’s life had been realised.

An admonishment, amounting to a caution and a public record, was placed on Baxter’s entry to the social care register for three years following the hearing earlier this week.

Baxter has a right to appeal to the Independent Care Standards Tribunal.

The GSCC conduct committee is to hear another case next week over allegations that a social worker from Taunton used their computer at work to access a number of pornographic images. The hearing is expected to run from 17-19 July.

More information

General Social Care Council