Nurse failed to report child abuse allegation

TRIBUNAL: Mum had told woman she thought daughter, 3, was suffering at hands of relative but it was not passed on

A nurse who failed to report allegations a vulnerable three-year-old girl was being sexually abused has been struck off.

Emily Whitelaw was told the girl’s mother believed she was being abused by an older relative.

Instead of contacting the police or social services Whitelaw dismissed it as lies because the family from Clackmannanshire did not get on.

Whitelaw also wrongly told a social worker the wording of the girl’s mother’s report, changing its meaning.

A tribunal has found the error “minimised the inference” of what was allegedly taking place.

It also found Whitelaw failed to visit the family to carry out welfare checks and risk assessments.

The claims of alleged sexual abuse were only investigated 18 months after they had first been flagged up to Whitelaw in May 2015.

Whitelaw, who has since retired, was brought before the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) where she was struck off the register.

In a written judgment, the NMC blasted her for putting the child at risk of serious harm by not following up on the allegations.

They said: “The mother of Child C disclosed alleged sexual abuse of Child C... to Family Support Worker A.

“Family Support Worker A was concerned with what she had been told and immediately reported the matter to Miss Whitelaw.

“Family Support Worker A also recorded the allegations she had received in Child C’s health visitor record.

“When the allegation was disclosed to Miss Whitelaw by Family Support Worker A, Miss Whitelaw did not take any action and made no record of why and/or how she reached the decision that no action should be taken.

“She felt there was a possibility that the parents were lying.

“Miss Whitelaw accepts that the facts in all of the charges are sufficiently serious so as to amount to misconduct as these failings were a significant departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse.

“Miss Whitelaw’s failings were serious and include her not acting appropriately in line with child safeguarding guidelines to ensure Child C was safe from harm.

“Further, an audit of her work revealed considerable errors in record keeping, conducting assessments and improper delegation.”

Striking her off, the NMC added: “There were repeated failings and numerous errors in record-keeping, conducting assessments and improper delegation over a sustained period of time involving the care and welfare of vulnerable children.

NHS Forth Valley was approached for comment.

She felt there was a possibility the parents were lying. NMC JUDGMENT