Social worker struck off over repeated child protection failings

A social worker who ignored his managers’ instructions to carry out and record assessments of children at risk of abuse has been struck off.

Ndivhuho Netshiavha’s “catalogue” of child protection failings occurred while he was employed as a social worker in Plymouth Council’s children in the community team between June 2008 and February 2010.

During this time, he failed on a number of occasions to complete assessments, make and update records, produce care plans and carry out visits, the General Social Care Council’s conduct committee heard.

In one case, Netshiavha failed to refer a child’s mother to a rehabilitation service over her drug use. In another, he did not complete a pre-birth assessment when told to do so.

The conduct committee noted in particular the case of two siblings, known as Child N and Child P. There had been concerns that Child N was sexually abusing Child P, but Netshiavha failed to complete a core assessment and care plan for Child N or a risk assessment of Child P.

“These service users were not adequately safeguarded and, because of the registrant’s lack of action, they were not made subject to proper safeguarding procedures,” the conduct committee said.

“This was not an isolated occasion, but was a catalogue of failings over a period of time.”

Netshiavha did not attend the hearing, but the conduct committee heard that his line managers had changed frequently over a relatively short period of time and that he had been suffering from physical ill health.

On top of this, his written skills were apparently not as good as his job application and CV had indicated.

However, the social worker had shown no insight into the seriousness of his failings and offered no expression of regret or apology.

The committee concluded that Netshiavha’s behaviour had been “grossly negligent” and decided to remove him from the register.

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