A residential child care worker from Gwynedd has been removed from the Register of Social Care Workers after a Social Care Wales hearing found his fitness to practise was currently impaired because of serious misconduct.
The hearing was told that in July 2020, Vladimir Ivanov restrained a young person in his care when it was not appropriate to do so, using excessive force and an inappropriate restraining method, and causing harm to the young person.
The panel was told that Mr Ivanov’s actions caused the young person to hit their head on a wall and that Mr Ivanov behaved in a threatening way towards the young person and failed to follow the training he’d had from his employer.
After considering the evidence, the panel decided that Mr Ivanov’s fitness to practise was currently impaired because of serious misconduct.
Explaining its decision, the panel said: “We have found that Mr Ivanov imposed an unnecessary physical restraint and that he behaved aggressively and with excessive force causing emotional harm to [the young person and] risking causing physical harm.”
The panel continued: “His email to Social Care Wales and his response to his former employer’s disciplinary investigation do not suggest either insight into his misconduct or a commitment to remediate.
“His absence from this hearing means that we do not have any evidence that he has taken any steps to improve his practice since July 2020. His absence is likely in our view to indicate that he is not committed to putting things right.”
The panel decided to remove Mr Ivanov from the Register, saying: “[O]nly the imposition of a Removal Order will provide adequate protection for the public in the circumstances of this case.
“Mr Ivanov’s lack of engagement, insight and commitment to remediate make that the necessary and proportionate order.”
Mr Ivanov was not present at the two-day hearing, which was held over Zoom last week.