First social worker struck off register

A senior social worker has become the first person to be struck off the General Social Care Council’s register for misconduct.

Anthony Peter Jacks, who had worked at Huntercombe Stafford psychiatric hospital in the West Midlands, was found guilty of misconduct over his relationship with a service user.

At a hearing in Manchester last week, the GSCC’s conduct committee found that Jacks’ relationship with a 14-year-old girl had breached its codes of practice.

Jacks did not attend the three-day hearing (Social worker ‘breached four codes of practice’ in dealings with girl, 14, 15 June).

In a separate case, Darlington social worker Yvonne Doyle was this week suspended from the register for two years for advertising herself as an escort with an internet agency that had links to websites associated with prostitution.

A GSCC conduct committee found she had brought social work into disrepute and damaged public confidence in social care services.

Jacks and Doyle can appeal to the Care Standards Tribunal.