A BESOTTED social worker who wrote a book of love poems about an ex-client has been struck off.
Brian Gorman broke the profession’s rules by forming a relationship with ‘KW’ six months after she ceased to be in his care for drug and alcohol abuse with Aberdeen Council.
But after she ended the relationship, he bombarded her with text messages, shouted abuse outside her home and sent her a birthday card after being told to stay away.
The 59-year-old even published a book of 115 poems – Broken Words – Pelicans Don’t Live Forever – which documented their relationship, and referred to it during his hearing with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
The panel refused to look at his £61 publication, and removed him from the register after deeming his actions a “gross breach of trust”.
Mr Gorman said he was “disgusted” with the system, and claimed that drug and alcohol users “won’t have the benefit of his experience anymore”.
Mr Gorman admitted 16 of the 23 charges against him but all of them were found proven.
These include “engaging in an intimate and/or sexual relationship with AA” in October 2012.
He admitted “inviting and permitting AA to visit his home at weekends” and “exchanging text messages with AA”.
He also admitted that on the 15 July 2013 he “shouted at AA, calling her a ‘f****** slut’, a ‘c***’ and saying she gave ‘blowjobs for gear’”.
He even shouted “You are a whore” and “You betrayed my love” outside his ex-client’s house before returning at a later date to yell “I love you” and “I’ll always love you”.
Mr Gorman, who is a self-confessed alcoholic, said the breakdown of the relationship affected him so much he even shaved his head and had a stint in a psychiatric hospital.
He said he wrote the book about his former love, though after sending a copy to her she told him it was a “load of self-pitying drivel”.
Illustrations in the book, which has sold a total of nine copies in six months, include a disturbing self-portrait drawn several days after the break-up.
Mr Gorman has in the past defended the relationship, saying at the time there was no “clear guidance” available on relationships with former clients.
He said: “There was no specific or clear information at the time which discussed a relationship with a former client.
“I spent hours looking online and there was only guidance for relationships with someone who was currently in your care.”
When asked if he had doubts at the time about whether the relationship was appropriate, he said: “To be honest it didn’t matter to me by then. I wouldn’t have cared if God had said it was wrong.
“I’m not the first person in history to be condemned for falling in love with someone that other people don’t agree with.
Following the SSSC decision, he said: “I don’t really care about the decision, I won’t ever be going back into social work.
“I’m quite disgusted with the system. How can you break a rule which doesn’t exist?
“I’m sad in respect of the fact that I am an excellent drugs worker and I enjoyed and gained an incredible amount of satisfaction from helping people.
“People will no longer have the benefit of my experience. I’m now looking forward to going to university next year.”
The SSSC’s written judgement on the case states that Mr Gorman’s behaviour “posed potential risks to vulnerable service users” and that he “has shown no insight or regret” regarding his actions.
