A Liverpool mental health nurse also bought vapes for the vulnerable 16-year-old patient in her care and also told her she ‘loved her lots’ and ‘wish I could adopt you’
A mental health nurse sent completely inappropriate” text messages to a “vulnerable” 16-year-old girl under her care. Claire Kitson, who was working as a case worker for Sefton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services under the employment of Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool, warned the teenager not to tell anyone about the messages to anyone “or I could go to prison”.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel concluded that Mrs Kitson “failed to maintain professional boundaries” with the young girl while serving as her case worker, including sending messages outside of work hours that exceeded the scope of their clinical relationship.
The content of these messages included “protestations of love”, “coarse or vulgar expressions”, and “disparaging remarks” about the girl’s mother. Mrs Kitson sent texts such as “Love you so much too”, “Love you to bits”, “Love you lots and lots”, and even “I wish I could adopt you”.
She also mentioned “skimpy bikini pictures” and warned the girl: “Never ever show anyone these texts or I could go to prison”. The timing, frequency, language, and content of many of these messages were deemed “completely inappropriate”.
Furthermore, the panel discovered that Mrs Kitson had purchased vapes for the minor. The teenager alleged that Mrs Kitson bought her six vapes, with text messages revealing that Mrs Kitson “offered to buy her vapes on many occasions”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
A representative for Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust stated that they take such concerns “extremely seriously”, and Mrs Kitson was promptly removed from unsupervised duties as soon as the issues were raised, leading to the termination of her contract.
The panel noted that their investigation was hindered by a lack of crucial evidence. Other accusations, including claims that Mrs Kitson purchased razor blades and a bra for the child, and that her actions were sexually motivated, were not substantiated and were dismissed as “hearsay”.
In text exchanges with the girl, Mrs Kitson would “frequently” express her love, often sending these messages “very late in the evening”. The head of behaviour at the girl’s school reported seeing texts from Mrs Kitson asking the girl to change her name in the phone and requesting confirmation once the messages had been deleted.
Mrs Kitson denied having any sexual interest in the teenager, and the panel did not find sufficient evidence to support this allegation.
The panel concluded that Mrs Kitson’s behaviour “was likely to have a significant impact on the mind of a 16 year old girl who was receiving treatment from Sefton CAHMS due to longstanding mental health conditions.”
The panel also mentioned that Mrs Kitson admitted that some of the messages could be interpreted as indicative of a mother-daughter type relationship.
The panel described Mrs Kitson’s behaviour as a “serious departure” from professional standards, noting that her actions posed a significant risk of harm to what they termed a “particularly vulnerable 16-year-old.”
However, the panel determined that Mrs Kitson’s conduct had been “remedied”, acknowledging she had gained “significant insight” and demonstrated genuine remorse, praising the “depth and sincerity” of her reflections.
A three-year caution order has been imposed, meaning Mrs Kitson’s entry on the NMC register will indicate she is subject to this order, and anyone checking her registration status will be made aware of its existence.
A spokesperson for Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust stated: “Patient safety is paramount at Alder Hey and we take concerns of this nature extremely seriously.
“We can confirm that this individual was employed by an external agency.”
The trust revealed she had worked there for three years, explaining: “Once the concerns were raised about this individual they were immediately removed from any unsupervised duties and their contract was terminated.
“The matter was also referred to the appropriate authorities and the supplying agency. The young person and family were offered support during this time.”