Details of problems at the General Social Care Council's conduct department are emerging. Next week we will be reporting on news that officials received details of a social worker being accused of sexually abusing a child, but failed to apply for an interim suspension order until six months had passed.
This follows the suspension of the GSCC's chief executive Mike Wardle in July after serious concerns about the efficiency of the conduct department were raised.
Watch out for the story on CommunityCare.co.uk and in the magazine shortly. In the meantime I wonder what social workers think of the weaknesses at the GSCC, and what this damage to its reputation means for the profession at a time when its public standing could hardly be any lower?
Equally, how many people, such as service users, even know about the GSCC outside the sector?
I don't think the majority of people have even heard of the GSCC never mind, know what it does. Personally, as a social worker I am very concerned social workers whose conduct has been called into question are being allowed to continue in practice. Our job is to protect vulnerable people and, as you state the public already seem to think we are as much use as a chocolate fireguard, the fact that we cannot even manage to keep on top of those that are on the social care register is not going to improve our reputation in any way.
It also concerns me that the GSCC are talking about registering social care workers etc in the near future, they need to sort their existing problems out before they expand any further.