Ever wondered why 'Secrecy' is so close to the heart of all matters connected with Social workers and the Family Courts........Could it be that with full disclosure, we might learn the true reason for the 'secrecy'...What is being with held from the public and Parliament !

Read on...... Read on ........ Read on........

Daily Mirror.................. 30 May 2006

EXCLUSIVE: ANTI-SOCIAL WORKERS..

Hundreds of criminals apply for care jobs ........By Tom Pettifor

HUNDREDS of would-be social workers have serious criminal convictions.

Official figures list 375 fully qualified social workers being considered for official registration as having records for high or medium-risk offences.

They include murder, robbery, sex crimes, theft, drug dealing, possessing hard drugs, grievous bodily harm, domestic violence, fraud and serious driving offences.

The General Social Care Council - the social workers' regulatory body - could not say last night how many are actually in a job.

A spokesman said: "There's a good likelihood they may still be working but their employers may have put them on other duties."

The convictions were discovered when the GSCC began compiling the first social care register in April 2003, when all fully qualified social workers were required to reveal any criminal history.

It is not known how many were working at the time or if bosses already knew of their convictions.

They can work despite having very serious convictions if deemed suitable by bosses and registered.

GSCC chief executive Lynne Berry said: "People need to know social workers can be trusted.

"We look especially hard at medium to high-risk offences and need to be assured they are safe to be registered."

A GSCC statement added: "Where there is a recommendation to refuse registration or grant it with conditions, it is considered by an independent committee."

The GSCC defines high-risk offenders as "likely to pose a risk to safety and wellbeing" of clients.

Medium-risk offenders, guilty of drink driving or other serious motoring offences, theft or drug crimes, "may" pose a risk.

The GSCC said it believed most were medium risk but admitted: "A large percentage were things like assault, grievous bodily harm, drugs, public order offences, some sex offences and robbery."

Two criminals were allowed on the register with conditions.

One committed murder nearly 25 years ago but it was decided he was fully rehabilitated.

The other committed "a range of offences" nearly 20 years ago.

The GSCC rejected 105 applications - two for criminal records.

One man was convicted of four indecent assaults on a child, the other of assault and drink driving.


tom.pettifor@mirror.co.uk