A domiciliary care worker based in Wrexham has been removed from the Register of Social Care Workers after a Social Care Wales hearing found his fitness to practise was currently impaired.
The hearing was told that Thomas Pedder was included on the Disclosure and Barring Service’s (DBS) Adults’ Barred List in April 2021 after he stole substantial amounts of money from a vulnerable person in his care on a number of occasions in 2020.
After considering the evidence, the panel concluded that Mr Pedder’s fitness to practise was currently impaired because of his inclusion on a barred list.
Explaining its decision, the panel said: “Mr Pedder’s actions in taking money from [the vulnerable person] constituted a serious breach of trust and were likely to cause actual harm to [them].
“Mr Pedder exploited his access to [the vulnerable person]’s bank card and [their] trust in him. His actions amount to a breach of fundamental principles of social care and show a lack of integrity.”
The panel continued: “Mr Pedder’s actions were not isolated, they were part of a four-month pattern of behaviour and were linked to an underlying problem with gambling.
“We have no evidence that any steps have been taken by Mr Pedder to address that problem so as to limit the risk that he would behave in the same way in future.”
The panel decided to remove Mr Pedder from the Register, saying: “We have decided that a Removal Order is the only appropriate disposal.
“It is a proportionate outcome in a case of theft of a large sum from a vulnerable person. It is necessary that Mr Pedder should be removed from the Register, notwithstanding the barring decision, because that decision applies only to work with adults.”
Mr Pedder was not present at the one-day hearing, which was held over Zoom last week.