Personal Injury Solicitors

The Care Council for Wales has struck off a qualified social worker over allegations that he failed to investigate the conduct of several care workers under his management.

South Wales Argus reports that Alan Ralph Kalawsky – who was formerly employed by Monmouthshire Council – worked as a disability service manager for the council for 14 years.

Mr Kalawsky had a number of adult service centres under his management – but was suspended from his post by Monmouthshire Council in February 2012.

The allegations against Mr Kalawsky include claims that his investigations into a complaint by a service user in March 2010 were flawed – and that he failed to investigate an incident in July 2010, when a service user known only as BG complained that a care worker had threatened to burn his toy monkey.

On Thursday (30/04/15), a conduct hearing in Cardiff found that, of the four allegations against Kalawsky – who was not at the hearing – it was proved that he failed to take appropriate action to safeguard vulnerable service users, as well as failing to address inappropriate or abusive behaviour of staff.

The conduct committee did not find, however, that Mr Kalawsky had failed to investigate issues relating to staff behaviour towards service users.

The committee also found it was not proved that Mr Kalawsky failed to provide adequate support to a staff member referred to as LD, with regard to performance management – and the committee did not find that Mr Kalawsky had failed to discipline a staff member referred to as DD.

However, with regard to allegations of deficient management relating to ICT and other equipment, the allegations were proved – as well as the committee finding that Mr Kalawsky had acted inappropriately with regard to council property.

Chairwoman of the conduct committee, Helen Potts, told the hearing it had considered the representations of the council’s presenter – Luisa Gibbons –
as well as Care Council for Wales’ Code of Practice for Social Workers, and as result had found Mr Kalawsky guilty of misconduct in respect of three of the four charges.

Ms Potts told the hearing:

“There were a series of failures rather than an isolated misjudgement.”

“This was a serious case in which vulnerable service users were abused and mistreated in a social care setting.

“The committee had no doubt that public confidence in the social care profession had been damaged by these events.”

The committee concluded that, while Mr Kalawsky was “a hard-working individual who showed commitment to the service” – the committee had no evidence from Mr Kalawsky of “regret, apology, reflection or of steps to improve practice”.

Ms Potts added that fundamental errors in basic social work practice had occurred – and the committee had decided to impose a Removal Order.

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