Social worker admits touching service users at General Social Care Council hearing

A social worker has admitted touching the hair of one service user and the stomach of another but has denied his behaviour was inappropriate.

Eric Charlesworth, who is appearing before the General Social Care Council’s conduct committee, allegedly formed inappropriate relationships with service users and failed to comply with his employers’ procedures.

He was employed as an agency social worker by Warwickshire Council when the alleged incidents took place between July 2004 and June 2005.

His contract ended after one of the service users, a 17-year-old known as B, told his mother that Charlesworth had touched him and she reported it to the council.

Another service user, known as C, made a police report after receiving a text message from Charlesworth. Charlesworth has admitted sending the message but said it had not been intended for C.

Counsel for the GSCC David Christie told the committee that the physical contact went “beyond the role and bounds” of his job as a social worker.

Charlesworth had previously been warned about his behaviour during his time as a social worker at Leicestershire Council, before retiring in 1997.