A SOCIAL worker is accused of ignoring claims by a 13-year-old girl that she was being physically abused by her father.

The General Social Care Council (GSCC) conduct comimittee has heard that Tricia Forbes has shown no remorse and offered no apology for failing to follow child protection procedures.

Ms Forbes, who was employed as a deputy team manager at Waltham Forest Council, is accused of not beginning a child protection investigation after the teenager revealed the abuse.

It is also claimed that she failed to inform the police and share information on the case.

The girl, known only as A for legal reasons, and her two younger siblings had been known to social services almost two years before the reported abuse.

Their names had been put on the child protection register but were removed just months before A had sought help after suffering a head wound.

A, who was later put in care, assaulted her next social worker because she found it difficult to trust people, the hearing was told.

If the hearing finds that Ms Forbes is no longer suitable to be a registered social worker, the GSCC is able to remove her from the social care register.

The hearing is scheduled to finish today. For the full story see next week's Waltham Forest Guardian.