GSCC: Baby P case could trigger first multiple conduct hearing

The General Social Care Council’s investigation into the conduct of social workers involved in the Baby P case could lead to its first conduct hearing involving more than one social worker, the regulator has confirmed.

The GSCC, which announced it was making preliminary enquiries last week, would not say how many social workers had been referred or whether this included managers, or when the referrals had taken place. But it disclosed that the referrals had come “through the usual routes” and were not the result of government intervention.

A GSCC spokesperson said the council would “not be treating these cases any differently” and that normal procedures, including timescales for inquiries, would apply.

If the GSCC concludes that there is evidence of misconduct, the social workers will have the right to request that any conduct hearing is held in private. However, they would be named in any decision in which they were found guilty of misconduct, the spokesperson added.

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