AN INVESTIGATION is taking place into a Bournemouth children’s social worker who wrote about her work in an online journal.

Although she did not name any clients, the woman, who was recruited in the USA, revealed details of cases in her blog. Her site also contained her photograph, home address and mobile telephone number.

In one entry, she wrote of feeling “honoured” when she had her second complaint from a client, a six-page letter about an assessment.

“My manager noted the good social workers always get complaints because they are actually doing their job,” she wrote.

Another entry was about a young teenage girl whom she suspected was being groomed by the father of one of her friends.

“He buys gifts for this girl without asking her mother. Expensive, inappropriate gifts including hair straighteners, dresses, gym membership for the year ... this man had also sent weird texts.”

The woman relayed how she rang the police for a background check on the man, but was told it could not be done without his date of birth.

“Instead I invited the man into my office to give him a stern talking,’’ she wrote. “My manager came in with me and ended up being more soft on this man than I had hoped …. at least I feel I have done something.”

The blog was brought to the Echo’s attention by one of the social worker’s clients, who said: “She hasn’t mentioned any names, but she’s not allowed to speak about any individual cases.”

After we told the council about the blog, its settings were changed to private and it can now only be seen by invited viewers.

Ann Graham, service director for children’s social care, said: “We take confidentiality and data protection extremely seriously and have begun an investigation to establish whether any breach of policy and privacy legislation has been made. These investigations take place in accordance with disciplinary procedures.”