Social worker waited two days before informing police of service user’s death threats

A social worker who waited two days before alerting the police that a service user intended to kill someone has been removed from the social work register.

Sarah Jane Price, who worked for North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, asked to be removed from the Health and Care Professions Council’s (HCPC) register after being accused of poor professional judgement.

The accusation followed an assessment of a service user she conducted in May 2012, which she continued with even after it emerged that she frequented “the same social scene” as the client.

During the assessment the service user told her that he intended to kill someone, but Price did not inform the police of this until two days later, the HCPC heard.

She also did not keep accurate records, failing to conduct a risk assessment or record her concerns about the service user.

Price admitted the allegation and asked to be removed from the register under the HCPC’s voluntary removal agreement.

A panel of the HCPC’s conduct and competence committee ruled that her actions amount to a lack of competence and agreed to grant her request to be removed from the register.

In making its decision, the committee noted that if Price reapplied for registration her application would be treated in the same way as if she was struck off, so granting her request “would not be detrimental to the public interest”.

Read the full notice of decision