Results of Fitness to Practices cases reported to HCPC regarding social workers - further detail

The request was partially successful.

Dear Health and Care Professions Council,

I previously asked a question re "Results of Fitness to Practices cases reported to HCPC regarding social workers".

The answer was not as complete as I required. Therefore I am asking the following:

In relation to Fitness to Practice cases in 2015 - your annual report
10004E22Fitnesstopractiseannualreport2015.pdf

gives the following figures:

in 2015 there were 2170 Fitness to Practice cases reported, of which
1251 were cases raised against Social Workers (57.6% of total).

Of the 1251 cases raised against Social Workers, 696 were raised by members of the public representing 55.7% of the cases raised against social workers.

You later report that 155 cases against social workers (representing 12.4% of all cases raised) resulted in 'Sanctions imposed by the profession'.

That leads to the assumption that 1096 of the cases raised against social workers (representing 87.6% of all cases raised) had no action taken.

My questions, specifically in relation to social worker cases brought by members of the public in 2015:

1. Please confirm, in the cases brought by the public against social workers, what the resulting action was, using whatever terminology suits you, to include (but not be limited to) being refused as not meeting standard of acceptance, undergoing internal review, undergoing external review, resulting in a hearing, leading to judicial review, and closed without any action taken. Please disaggregate this from general numbers.

2. Please confirm how many of the 155 cases that resulted in sanctions against social workers were brought by members of the public, and detail what the specific sanctions were for any cases identified. Again please disaggregate this from general numbers.

Yours faithfully,

C. Hatcher

FOI, Health and Care Professions Council

Dear C. Hatcher

                                   

Thank you for your request for information about fitness to practise cases
regarding social workers dated 21 May 2016. We are treating this as a
request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

We will deal with your request as promptly as possible and, at the latest,
within 20 working days. If you have any queries about your request please
contact us using this email address, or the address below.

The reference number for your request is FR04647.

Yours sincerely       

 

Maxine Pryce

Information Governance Officer

 

Health and Care Professions Council

Park House, 184 Kennington Park Road

London SE11 4BU

[1]www.hcpc-uk.org

 

 

 

 

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FOI, Health and Care Professions Council

Dear C. Hatcher

 

Thank you for your request for information about fitness to practise cases
regarding social workers in England, dated 21 May 2016. Your request has
been handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

 

First I’d like to address some points of clarification:

 

·         HCPC Fitness to practise annual report 2015 covers the period 1
April 2014 to 31 March 2015.  All of our annual reports are based on this
timescale (the financial year).

 

·         Of the 2,170 new cases in this period, not all would have
concluded within the 12 month period, especially those received towards
the end of the 12 month period.  It is therefore not accurate to assume
that 1,096 cases raised against social workers in England had no action
taken.

 

·         Of the 155 cases relating to social workers in England, some of
these cases would have been received in previous years (i.e. before 1
April 2014).

 

·         Cases can be closed at three points in our process: by HCPC
officers when the information received means the case does not meet our
Standard of Acceptance (a copy of our Standard of Acceptance can be found
on our website at
[1]http://www.hcpc-uk.org/assets/documents/...
by an independent Investigating Committee Panel (ICP) when the test of
Case to Answer is not met; by a (different) independent final hearing
panel to decide if the facts support the allegation, that the grounds of
misconduct, lack of competence and/or health are met, and if so, there is
current impairment of the registrant’s fitness to practise.

 

 

There were 2,170 new fitness to practise (FTP) cases received in the
2014-15 period, 1,250 relating to social workers in England.  Of these
1,250 social worker cases, 696 complaints were from members of the
public/service users.

 

Of these, correct as of 14 June 2016, the status is as follows:-

 

·         3 were closed because the case was created in error (may have
been made against someone not on the HCPC register/someone with a similar
name)

·         620 cases were closed because the information did not meet our
standard of acceptance policy

·         41 were closed by a panel of our ICP because they did not meet
the case to answer test

·         2 were closed as struck off the register at a final hearing

 

There are then a number of cases received in this period that are still
open:-

 

·         21 are still being investigated

·         3 are awaiting a decision by the ICP

·         1 was considered for mediation

·         5 are awaiting consideration at a final hearing

 

Of the 155 cases at a final hearing relating to social workers in England,
8 were original complaints from members of the public/service users.  Of
these, the outcomes were:-

 

·         2 cautions

·         1 condition of practice

·         5 not well founded (2 of these were that whilst the facts were
found, this did not amount to current impairment)

 

 

Internal review

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been
handled, you can request a review by writing to:

Secretariat Department

Health and Care Professions Council

Park House

184 Kennington Park Road

London

SE11 4BU

 

Email: [2][email address]

 

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint,
you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at:

 

The Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

 

Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45 Website: [3]www.ico.org.uk

 

There is no charge for making an appeal.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Maxine Pryce

Information Governance Officer

 

Health and Care Professions Council

Park House, 184 Kennington Park Road

London SE11 4BU

[4]www.hcpc-uk.org

 

 

 

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