A SOCIAL worker found to have put vulnerable children at “significant risk of harm” over a period of nearly two years has been suspended from a professional register.

Yvonne Mieville, who worked at Dorset County Council, was found responsible for “a number of failings” relating to child exploitation risks between May 2013 and January 2015.

One case concerned Miss Mieville not informing her manager or speaking to the mother of a child about a sex offender being asked to babysit the child.

She also failed to respond appropriately following an incident of domestic violence between the child’s mother and her partner.

A tribunal heard the “highly experienced” social worker had been feeling “overwhelmed” and was “struggling to manage cases beyond the initial assessment stage”.

In another case involving concerns over an injury to a baby’s face, Miss Mieville was required to visit the child at least weekly as part of a Child Protection Plan put in place.

However, she only visited the child once. Afterwards, the baby was injured again and the case was allocated to another social worker.

Miss Mieville has been removed from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register for 12 months following the hearing.

William Nelson, Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS) panel chair, said Miss Mieville “failed to take proper care of the service users put into her care”.

He continued: “She failed to keep her management or colleagues properly informed of the way in which she was so failing. She failed to keep adequate records thereby ensuring that others who may have to follow on her care had little or no information about the needs and requirements of the service users.

“The Registrant clearly understood what needed to be done but failed to do it. The Panel does accept that she may have had personal or medical problems which may have explained some of her failures. Those reasons could not however have excused them. The way in which she was practising was not safe for service users.”

He added: “All of this was done in the context of a registrant whose workload in comparison with others was comparatively light.”

The panel found Miss Mieville’s failures were “prolonged, repetitive and serious” and put “a large number of service users at risk of harm”.

They found the failures amounted to misconduct.

A Dorset County Council spokesperson said: “Yvonne Mieville hasn’t worked for Dorset County Council since October 2015. We expect all our staff to work to the highest professional standards, especially in terms of safeguarding children. If these are not met, we follow the set disciplinary procedures.”

Children's charity NSPCC says it is "vital the public has confidence in those whose job it is to protect children and that when there is malpractice it is dealt with decisively".

A spokesperson added: “Mieville had faith and responsibility placed in her by her employers, but through her actions she placed a number of vulnerable children in danger.

“It is also important that in cases like this staff, parents and anyone involved speaks out against malpractice."