Fake PhD social worker is spared being struck off
A SENIOR social worker who lied about having a doctorate has been found guilty of misconduct – but will not be struck off the professional register.
Susan Stewart falsely claimed to have secured a PhD from the University of Stirling in 1995, allowing her to secure high-powered jobs.
She went on to be appointed as an adviser to the Aberlour Child Care Trust and even gave evidence to the Scottish parliament’s finance committee in November 2010 using the false title of Doctor.
The 47-year-old mother-of-two admitted she had been trapped in a web of lies – and that she should have alerted her employers that she did not hold a doctorate.
A seven-day hearing of a Scottish Social Services Council conduct sub-committee was told she authored sensitive and confidential family assessment reports for use in sheriff courts and children’s hearings.
They were allowed to go out bearing the name ‘Dr Susan Stewart’.
The sub-committee found her guilty of misconduct. She could have been struck off the social workers’ register – but it opted to impose a five-year warning on her registration with the social services watchdog. It will publish a full written decision detailing their reasoning within two weeks.
Stewart, who holds social work and psychology degrees, studied for a PhD in psychology at Stirling between 1992 and 1995 but did not complete her studies.
She broke down as she gave evidence during the hearing in Dundee about her deceit.
After accepting a teaching post at the university in 2012, a police investigation revealed the CV submitted in support of her job application falsely declared she was entitled to be called Dr Stewart and the PhD qualification was fictitious.
Prior to her move to Stirling, Stewart had held various senior social work posts within the Aberlour Child Care Trust where she authored sensitive and confidential family assessment
‘I should have corrected it’
reports for use in sheriff courts and children’s hearings.
She told the hearing that at Aberlour she co-authored a family assessment report for submission to a children’s hearing then went on annual leave. When she returned she saw it had been issued as being from Dr Susan Stewart.
‘When I came back from leave I saw that six copies of the report had been issued,’ she said. ‘My title of doctor was on it. At that point I should have corrected it.
‘I know that I should have said something. I panicked, because the reports had already gone to a hearing.’
Stewart said after that point she buried her head in the sand, fearing she would lose her job.
She added: ‘I was the sole wage earner in the family. I didn’t feel able to approach my line manager. I didn’t feel safe enough to do it.’
A University of Stirling spokesman said: ‘Under the Data Protection Act, the university does not disclose personal information about individuals to third parties.’