SOCIAL WORKER GUILTY OF GROOMING AND CREATING 'RELATIONSHIP CONTRACT'
Robert Alderson, a social worker employed by Staffordshire County Council, was convicted of grooming a vulnerable 19-year-old individual and formulating a 'relationship contract' with him.The panel concluded that Alderson had engaged in grooming the young man, who had a history of self-harm, by financing alcohol, outings, and clothing for him.
He also drafted a document that limited the young man's interactions with others, including clauses that forbade him from engaging in any sexual or romantic relationship with another gay or bisexual male for the duration of a phone contract.
Alderson claimed that the relationship had been consensual and stated he harbored 'no regrets.' The evidence showed that the grooming activity occurred between August 2017 and February 2018, with Alderson stepping down from his role a year before the panel reached its verdict.
The HCPC determined that his conduct was 'sexually motivated' and constituted an abuse of the trust placed in him as a care professional.
Consequently, Alderson was ordered to be removed from the register, with a 28-day window to lodge an appeal against this decision.
