Social Worker misconduct - opinions please?

[MotherNature21]

NC’ed as this being linked to my other posts would be massively outing.

If a social worker was to engage in an affair with someone else’s spouse, would that be something that could be reported to Social Work England?

I’ve had a read of their website, and I quote section 5.2 of the professional standards - a social worker agrees not to “Behave in a way that would bring into question my suitability to work as a social worker while at work, or outside of work.”

This incident would be outside of work, as the person they were having an affair with, was not working with them.

From my point of view, someone who has played a part in wrecking another’s family, is not a fit person to be supporting other families, professionally, if that makes sense? For clarity, the social worker knew that their affair partner was married.

Not sure whether taking any action would be a waste of time, so looking for advice. Thanks.

Nothing would be done about this. Social workers, police etc have affairs all the time.

I think that would be incredibly petty and fairly irrelevant. It is not criminal activity, even if it is questionable morally.

The GMC which regulates doctors, has a whole department dedicated to getting rid of the vexatious complaints as they arrive. People do things like report their neighbour to the GMC over a parking issue just because the neighbour is a dr. This would be filed in the 'green ink' bin for a SW

Unless it's the spouse of one of the SWs clients, what he/she does in her private life is nobody's business really. People have affairs all the time (it doesn't make it right, but such is life).

No of course something wouldn’t be done about this. Having an affair doesn’t make you unsuitable to be a social worker for goodness sake.

are you ok? Did your husband cheat on you?

No. It has absolutely nothing to do with their work.

Any more than it's an issue for teachers, Drs, nurses, police, fire, MPs or any other human being.

Affairs hurt but move on a bit.

Unless it was with the father in a family she was working with, I don't think they'd care.

This would be filed in the 'green ink' bin for a SW

Love the term "green ink bin" and know exactly what it means

I thought you meant the spouse of a client but no if it’s not related to work then no it would have no effect

Another 'l honestly dont want to get someone in trouble...but how do I get someone in trouble' thread?

Totally agree. Some people are just naturally nasty.

Wow. Horrible.

No it has nothing at all with the capability to be a social worker.

The spouse in this scenario knew they had a spouse and that cheating is a morally reprehensible act.they are the one who you should be upset with as they are the one who breached your trust.

No they can't and if you report them it will just be chucked in the bin. What a social worker does in their own time affair or not is nothing to do with SWE.

No it’s not grounds for complaint

No, nothing would be done. Be grateful she's only a adulteress. A SW in my part of Kent had a son who was one of the nastiest pieces of shit ever put on this earth, and was in and out of jug. On the day she gave evidence in my client's case, her son was on the front page of the local rag, having been sentenced for a particularly vicious assault. My client asked: 'How come she's allowed to judge other people's parenting, LetHim?' And of course I had to remind her that all she had to concern herself with was her own parenting; how well she'd engaged with all the relevant agencies; how well she'd done on all the courses . . .

I wanted to say: 'Absolutely no fucking clue.'

She was as thick as mince, as well. And she wasn't the only one.

There would be no formal issue with it, but would potentially cause a problem for the parties directly involved. Stay out of it

That's awful @LetHimHaveIt

It really was.

There were some truly excellent SWs as well, I should say. And I appreciate that it's a very tough and often thankless profession. But, my God! There were some I encountered, I wouldn't have trusted to look after, or act in the best interests of, a Tamagochi.

Things like going out and bashing someone or getting hammered and being arrested would bring it into disrepute but his/her personal life that is nothing to do with lawbreaking and in private are bog all to do with anyone else esp as its separate to work so as we have a massive shortfall of sw Id suggest anyone thinking they can stick their noses into this scenario thinks again.

Is this your husband by any chance?

Not of interest too SWE.

This clause relates to some criminal activity/negative media attention, not private actions, even shitty ones.

Should the affair partner, the one who is actually married, lose their job because they were the one cheating? Or were they just some poor sap led astray by a temptress social worker and just couldn’t help themselves? Direct your anger at the person who deserves it.

ZOMBIE THREAD FROM AUG 2022

Only if it was a family they were supporting.