Social worker gets warning after viewing porn sites at work

A social worker has been warned about his conduct after admitting viewing pornographic websites for an hour on a work computer.

Simon Langley told a conduct committee of the General Social Care Council he viewed the content between 7.10am and 8.10am.at work at an unnamed council on 15 June 2009. 

Langley, whose town of employment is listed as Milton Keynes on the social care register, received a two-year admonishment.

The committee noted he had told his employer was suffering from stress shortly before the incident. The chairman said Langley had shown “genuine remorse”, accepted his argument that it was a one-off breach of the council’s IT policy, and that no-one had expressed concerns about his interaction with female work colleagues.

However, Langley admitted that he had breached paragraph 5.8 of the social care workers’ code of practice, which states practitioners must not “behave in a way, in work or outside work, which would call into question your suitability to work in social care services”.

Langley had argued that the hearing should be held in private to protect his family.

However, the committee denied the request, as the public interest in open justice was more important than any “private difficulties” the social worker may suffer as a result.

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