A SOCIAL worker has been struck off after a tribunal found he had failed to ‘adequately safeguard’ three children from the risk of sexual abuse by their stepfather.

Reginald Anthony Frankum was originally suspended by Bolton Council for six months on the grounds of misconduct.

And a panel of the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS) struck him off the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) after hearing evidence.

Panel chair Ian Comfort said: “There was no evidence before the panel that Mr Frankum appreciates the gravity of his failings, there was no explanation as to how he would behave differently in the future and no assurance that the deficiencies in his practice had been remedied.”

Frankum, had been a social worker at Bolton Council since 1996.

His failures included not identifying the risk of harm posed by their step-father after receiving an email from the NSPCC in July 2014.He also did not notify his manager of the concerns raised in email in a timely manner, or discuss them in meetings held in August and September 2014.

He also failed to promptly inform a team manager that the stepfather had been arrested for rape.

A council spokesman said: “We terminated his employment and referred the matter to the HCPC. We support the outcome of this hearing.”