Man who strangled woman given safeguarding job at Cardiff University

[PurgatoryOfPotholes]

introduction

Cardiff University has launched an investigation after a man who was jailed for strangling a woman was given a live-in safeguarding job at one of their halls of residence. Former teacher Sean Hughes was sentenced to nine months in prison last December after injuring a woman's neck and eye.

The 40-year-old served half his sentence in custody before being released on licence — and recently started a live-in role as a residence life assistant at Talybont student halls where his responsibilities included "supporting vulnerable students and managing crisis situations".

Hughes, previously head of sixth form at the Kings Monkton private school in Roath, was working in the university role while studying a criminology course. When WalesOnline approached the university last week with questions about the appointment, its spokesman said: “We do not comment on individual student cases. However, considering the information presented we can confirm we are investigating to ensure all relevant information at the point of admission was presented in line with our policies."

Read the rest at Wales Online

WTAF?! It will be interesting to see how Cardiff's investigation goes.

However, considering the information presented we can confirm we are investigating to ensure all relevant information at the point of admission was presented in line with our policies

Are they saying it’s their policy for convicted violent criminals who apply for jobs with them to be upfront with the information that they’re convicted violent criminals?

to believe that this man should not be allowed to live at Student Halls? http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/4661249-to-believe-that-this-man-should-not-be-allowed-to-live-at-student-halls?msgid=-4661249#-4661249

Glad to see other mumsnetters are on it. It needs all the eyes it can get!

Good God! This is terrifying, especially for any parents who have kids at Cardiff uni.

The other thread has been deleted as it “contained private information about another person”.

I really don’t know what the “private information” can have been. Posters were only discussing a conviction and subsequent job appointment that had been reported in the press.

It seems there’s no shortage of people willing to cover up for men like this.

I'm worried that Mumsnet deleted the other thread. It's been in the papers, presumably?

I'd think that anyone with children either at Cardiff university or considering it for the future needs to know about this, rather than having it covered up FFS.

wtf

Also I don't think a conviction for strangling a woman should count as "private information". I think that should come under "information that everyone needs to know"

Cardiff University are acting abysmally here, both with the initial appointment to the support role and also to the recent news story about it.

This man does have a "right" to study and a past conviction even for violence shouldn't prevent someone from enrolling on a course. But, it should be considered as to whether you should be in university accommodation with young people. And it most certainly should be considered when appointing you to a role in a position of responsibility and care over those students.

If he was only wanting to study, he could have chosen to live off campus away from other students and not put himself forward for this role.

Why on earth was the other thread deleted?

Private information?
What part of it is private information?

a crime and prison sentence detailed in multiple places on the internet.
Viewable by the entire world.
A public statement by the university.

that's now private information?

How?

Shared this on FB, get this out there!!!

I was on the other thread. I never saw any Personal info that isn’t already public.

Oh, dear. It seems as though recruiting for student support officers/things that involve contact with vulnerable, young frequently female people is a very difficult area of recruitment, in that normal recruitment policies, safeguarding or a consideration of the optics is entirely unnecessary, right up the point that some pesky reporter hears about it.

Terrifying

Surely he needed a DBS check for that role? You would expect a conviction for a violent offence to show up on that?

Is this the thread that people are complaining keeps getting deleted? I saw a reference to it

How come they didnt do a DBS check?

DBS not apparently relevant. He declared his unspent conviction for violence against a woman, yet was still placed in a safeguarding role - safeguarding women!
Dneice is a 1st year, living in Talybont. I've forwarded this article to SIL, but WTF does she tell her dd?

Good god.

That's what I was wondering. Any kind of job working with kids or vulnerable adults needs an enhanced disclosure?
It's always a definite no when this comes back with violent crime on it.

I wonder if he happened to be mates with whoever hired him?

Because there's a lot of 'oh, this is a student' not 'this was an employee as well as a student' going on - as though they're trying to deflect away from that part.

A shame that's been deleted - apart from shedding a light on how a man who served a prison sentence for strangling (but not killing) a woman, there's a genuine public interest in discussing what disbars someone from being employed to work with vulnerable young women (and men).
It also raises the question about what other types of offenders Cardiff University might be employing in sensitive positions if this is the standard of checks they employ.

@JellySaurus My DS is also in Talybont - he's disgusted as are his female flatmates. They want answers. Advised them to make as much noise as possible

Most students are >18, so adults. I know many students are vulnerable because of mental health conditions etc but I wonder whether this role is not strictly covered by the scope of DBS. It’s appalling that this individual was placed in this role, but there are limits on the DBS process. That said, I’d not want my kids in halls with this deplorable.

As @JellySaurus said, it looks like the uni did know.

Hughes has declined to comment but WalesOnline understands it is his position that he disclosed his conviction when he applied for the university role.

I would have thought that would get your application turned down!