A social worker who sent sexual and coercive messages to a vulnerable patient has been struck off. 

Counsellor Arthur Stanley Lockley worked for the Hackney Integrated Learning Disabilities Service (ILDS) and was supporting a vulnerable female. 

Due to her medical and social history, staff had concerns about her ability to consent to relationships. 

The patient told police that between July and October 2021 Mr Lockley had “groomed” her online and spoke to her sexually in a way she did not like. 

Police investigated and although they did not find a chargeable offence, they confirmed the messages between Mr Lockley and the patient were highly sexualised. 

Among the messages he sent were “I don’t want your parents to get suspicious” and “I would get struck off”. 

The matter was referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which held a misconduct hearing in June. 

“The panel was of the view that while it is unclear who initiated the explicit messaging, Mr Lockley was an enthusiastic participant in the sexual communications and did not take any steps to stop it,” an NMC report stated. 

“Mr Lockley knew that his actions were wrong and in breach of his professional code of conduct in engaging in such explicit communications with a patient who he knew to be vulnerable.” 

The NMC panel was told that Mr Lockley accepted he “made a grave mistake”. 

They concluded that Mr Lockley should be struck off from the nursing register.