Hi i’ve had a very similar experience- been 2 years heard waiting for a hearing- and now been told another year- the interim orders don’t look at facts and they’ve made incorrect assumptions based on the information- as a result my mental health has struggled which has almost made me unfit again. I was unfit but i’ve been able to demonstrate no repeat of risk- but in limbo with no fair hearing. I was even being contacted by SWE case investigators in the hospital quiet room as my father was dying in the next room. I did made a mistake but have practiced well for 2 years since- but the delays and their approach only looking at the complainant and being adversary has destroyed me both mentally and physically- as interim order proceed and hearings don’t look as facts they just make adversary and risk averse judgements based on the info but ‘don’t look at finding of facts- which is core practice for determining risk in our practice- (so why aren’t SWE) and providing a fair hearing. mental health and standards fell during the pandemic, which was a mitigation.

i’ve lost my career fearful everyday of loosing my job and have considered ending it all due to the 2 years of distress caused.

I really think we should start a class action against SWE for their overall incompetence. They should be disbanded and non of its employees work for any social care agencies. I’m not against the social work standards. I’m against the manner in which guilty until proven innocent and then wait a few years until we are bothered to act mentality SWE have regarding fitness to practice cases. But social workers are too meek to take action for fear of repercussions. We need to be more like the French.

I agree. I don’t see that the problem here is the number of investigations but the number of social worker who are being reported. There should, absolutely, be an investigation into every social worker who is potentially unfit to practice but what is happening in recruitment and training that so many social workers are be8ng reported as unfit.

Social work is now impossible to follow through as even when you think you’re doing the right thing, today you might not be! Not surprised there’s so much stress and burnout! Anxiety and fear of failure causes mistakes too…and guess who’ll be in the firing line 🤔 Not the Greek chorus SWE berating from the sidelines, that’s for sure!

Return to 2 year registration and a sensible, balanced, human approach to managing issues!

Social Work England barely take notice of social workers they are meant to be regulating so they are hardly going to think about how their inaction impacts on service users. I wrote to them a while back to say a complaint made to them by a family member was malicious. Haven’t heard back from them. No acknowledgement, just silence that makes me feel I’m a nuisance. Still at least we don’t have to pay to be ignored.

I suspect also hundreds of service users that are also left in limbo having to deal with a social worker that is/may be unfit to practice – with all the dangers that may lead to…

My social worker is clearly not fit to practice, but my concern has been in ‘triage’ with SWE for over a year now.