Children’s chief ‘told colleague to have an abortion’

An assistant director of children’s services who allegedly told a pregnant colleague to have an abortion and asked another woman if she enjoyed anal sex is facing removal from the social care register.

Douglas Adams, formerly employed by Barnsley Council in South Yorkshire, is accused of telling a junior colleague in an administrative post that her career might be ruined if she had the baby, and it would be easy to have an abortion because her pregnancy was not far gone.

He said he knew she was pregnant because her “tits” had got bigger and that she would end up with no job, a General Social Care Council conduct committee will hear on Monday.

He added that her boyfriend would not love the baby, that her boyfriend was using her for sex and that she would have stretch marks and lose her figure.

Adams, understood to be the most senior social worker to face misconduct charges to date, is also accused of saying “I bet you take it up the arse” to a woman at an office Christmas meal in 2005.

He is alleged to have said to a project manager in the children’s services department: “Oh yes, I can see you in a Miss Whiplash outfit with high leather boots taking them [her male colleagues] in hand.”

In a separate meeting, Adams told the project manager that her administrative support officer, known as Ms B, was “completely off her head” and that she’s [Ms B] having treatment as she’s trying for a baby and she’s all over the place,” the committee will hear.

A Barnsley Council spokesperson said: “Mr D Adams was summarily dismissed for gross misconduct in August 2006. We have no further comment to make.”

The conduct hearing is expected to conclude on 20 January.

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