A SCOTTISH social worker has been struck off after being found guilty of serious misconduct in the tragic case of murdered toddler Liam Fee and 14 other vulnerable children over a 33-month period.
Professional watchdog, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), upheld 12 charges against former Fife social worker Lesley Bate over failings amounting to neglect of the children.
Bate, 60, denied all the charges against her and chose not to appear before the conduct sub-committee, which heard she had now relinquished her social work registration.
She was part of the Fife social work team responsible for Liam’s welfare shortly before he was killed by his mother Rachael Trelfa, 31, and civil partner Nyomi Fee, 29, at a house near Glenrothes in Fife on March 22 2014. He had suffered a ruptured heart as a result of severe blunt force trauma to his body.
The charges against Bate relate to the period between December 2011 and August 2014, when she was employed by Fife Council in the child protection team in Glenrothes and the children and families team in Dunfermline as a social worker.
The SSSC hearing was told that Bate was “disorganised and chaotic”, she showed “no regard for vulnerable groups”, failed to carry out risk assessments, and had not kept clear and accurate records. The panel heard that the misconduct was of the most serious kind over a sustained period of time.
In a statement, Fife Council said: “While we cannot discuss the details of current or former employees, we would reassure that the practice highlighted in this case is historic in nature and was dealt with robustly at the time.
“The case was first reported by the council to the SSSC over three years ago and this week’s hearing is the conclusion of that referral. This case does not reflect our current practice or the high standard of professionalism which we expect and receive from our social work staff.”
Trelfa and Fee were found guilty at the High Court in Livingston in May of murdering Liam and were convicted of a catalogue of abuse against two other children.
Trelfa was later ordered to spend a minimum of 23-and-a-half years in jail and Fee, a minimum of 24 years.
Bate’s misconduct hearing heard that Liam’s childminder, Heather Farmer, first raised concerns with Fife social workers in January 2013, when she saw the toddler had injuries. She was worried he may have been knocked unconscious. A month later she raised further concerns about a neck injury.
However, Bate visited Liam’s home after the first injury as part of Fife Council’s child protection team based in Glenrothes when Trelfa told her the toddler had fallen out of his cot. The sub-committee was told Bate accepted that and recommended no further involvement by social workers.
Following Liam’s death, Bate was made the subject of a disciplinary investigation and was moved to a different team on returning to the council. However, her boss, James Ross, previously said her work was “poor” and that he had “serious questions about her assessment of risk” following Liam’s death.
Ross said: “There had been a lengthy investigation into Lesley’s work before she came to my team. That had concluded she be given an opportunity to practise elsewhere.
“She was probably the most erratic person I have worked with. She was fine when there was no work – but the minute anything was required she failed to undertake it. She absolutely could not understand risk at that point and I had a real concern about her visiting families.
“She was very disorganised and presented chaotically. I constantly tidied up for her because I wanted the children to be safe.”
The SSSC will now consider what sanctions to impose.
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