A social worker involved in the care of murdered toddler Liam Fee was branded “disorganised”, “chaotic” and “the most erratic person I have worked with” by her boss during a conduct investigation.
Lesley Bate faces a succession of charges over her role as a social worker with Fife Council between December 2011 and August 2014.
Bate – who has chosen not to appear before the Scottish Social Services Council conduct sub-committee investigating the allegations – was a member of the Glenrothes Child Protection Team who managed Liam Fee’s case.
Liam was murdered by his mother and her civil partner at their home in Thornton, Fife, in March 2014.
One charge against Bate is that she failed to follow up concerns raised by a childminder about a one-year-old boy, labelled FF in anonymised SSSC documents.
It alleges that despite the carer raising concerns on January 15, 2013, “regarding bruising to the face” of the baby – and the next month that “he had a sore neck” – Bate did not act.
During the murder trial of Rachel and Nyomi Fee, childminder Heather Farmer told the court she contacted the Scottish Childminding Association in January 2013 after he turned up with scratches and bruises to his face.
In a separate incident, she raised concerns about the toddler’s neck after he was dropped off at her home on February 18, 2013.
Bate faces a total of 13 charges relating to 16 different children – including several allegations that she “failed to take necessary steps to minimise actual or potential risk of harm” for those children.
On Monday the hearing was told that Bate’s manager James Ross had “serious questions about her assessment of risk”.
Mr Ross said: “She was probably the most erratic person I have worked with.”
He added: “She was very disorganised and presented chaotically.”
The hearing continues and is expected to run until Friday.
Rachel Fee, 31, and Nyomi Fee, 29, were convicted of the murder of Liam and neglect of two other children earlier this year at the High Court in Livingston and jailed for life.
- For the full story get Tuesday’s edition of The Courier.
