Social care council stands accused

The General Social Care Council has been strongly criticised by a
tribunal for failing to properly analyse the evidence in the case
of a social worker who was wrongly refused registration.

The man, identified as DH, successfully appealed at the care
standards tribunal against the decision to refuse his registration
on mental health grounds.

The GSCC’s registration committee rejected his application because
of his retirement as a probation officer in 2000 on the grounds of
stress and depression and because his correspondence with the
regulator apparently revealed mental health problems.

But the tribunal described the GSCC’s reasons for refusal as
“wholly inadequate”. It said the regulator had failed to evaluate
evidence, analyse medical reports or consider DH’s work record or
reference.

It added that the committee breached its own rules by refusing to
allow DH to comment on evidence given by its medical adviser.

GSCC chair Rodney Brooke said: “We are taking on board the concerns
it raised and will be considering these concerns in more depth over
the coming weeks.”