Honest Opinions Cost Jobs

Joanna Thomas was a social worker ....

Should Have Kept It Private .....

I say was, because she was been struck off the register after 24 years in 2019.

She had committed one of the new crimes that the Internet, especially Social Media, has created since its inception.

In this case, it was the crime of loose lips cost jobs ... she was another of those who used her Facebook page to voice opinions about her clients and colleagues. Now, no one can tell me that social workers, teachers, and other public sector workers, and in fact all those who have to deal with the great British public, haven't voiced their opinions about the great unwashed to friends, families and colleagues, since time immemorial .... but of course those were largely private opinions, even if in a pub bar.

As someone who started work in the public sector, I fully understand how she felt, and how the need for a sounding board, can drive you to vent your feelings with the help of a purging rant, or two, often after a stiff drink ... the client bases for some of these jobs are not the middle classes!!

Facebook and other similar platforms such as WhatsApp, can of course be set to private, but when initially set up usually default to some sort of public disclosure of some, or all, comments made if not specifically made private. Her comments about her clients included such phrases as "nightmare parents", and "demonic children." She labelled one client mother a "moronic cow", adding that "she shouldn't be allowed near kids." 

One post read 'Today I hated my job! I had to return [two children] to their mother, an alcoholic who took an overdose in front of them. [One of the children] was so distraught at having to go back, she soiled and then wet herself, she wrung her hands and sobbed. I hope those that made the crap decision have the same nightmares I will now have.'

A sentiment I hope all of us find understandable (baby Peter is never far from my mind). However what may actually have tipped the balance against her, was that she called many, including her own boss "bastards" .... however she didn't actually name anyone directly.

Unfortunately for her, although she told a Health and Care Professions tribunal that her account must have been hacked, or her privacy settings must have somehow changed when she altered her password, a report from the hearing said the profile was always public, and 'therefore her posts and comments were visible to anyone'. Her accusers said it was 'easy to tell' who the social worker was talking about, based on the times of posts, and that some posts even said 'today this happened'.

She was found guilty of misconduct by a Health and Care Professions tribunal service panel, and banned from all social work. Now I think that we can all agree that she perhaps deserved a warning but lets be honest, she obviously cared about the children and didn't deserve to lose her licence, so I hope she's found another job, perhaps with a child charity, that allow her to care for children like that little girl.

However what was stupid was in not knowing that her Facebook account was 'public' .... that takes a really special kind of stupid even back in 2019.