Children's home youth worker used excessive force to restrain vulnerable teenagers, hearing told

Sian Moses is also accused of making inappropriate sexual advances to a colleague

A children's home worker pushed a vulnerable teenager and used excessive force to restrain them to the ground, a hearing was told.

It is alleged that between January 2017 and May 2017 there were three incidents where Sian Moses, 38, was involved in physical restraints of young people at the home she was working at.

Moses denies having used excessive force in all situations and claimed any restraints were necessary for the safety of staff and other residents.

An Education Workforce Council hearing heard youth support worker Moses "pushed" a young person out of the doorway in the home.

However, giving evidence at the hearing on Thursday, Moses said she used her arms as a blockade to prevent the person from entering the room.

Moses worked at Ty Ni children's home in Caerphilly, South Wales, with children aged 13 to 17 years with the "aim to provide a positive, stable environment that enables the young people to feel safe and valued."

The home follows a Team Teach method which views restraining residents as the least desirable outcome and instead encourages deescalation and destraction.

At the time, Moses was not trained in Team Teach and was instructed not to use physical restraints and to allow a member of staff who was trained in the practice to address the situation.

On another occasion, Moses is alleged to have dragged a young person out of a car to prevent them from physically assaulting a member of staff.

Moses denies having dragged the person out of the car, claiming she opened the car door and said: "No, don't do that".

She claims that she then reached under the arm of the young person to assist them out of the car, before they fell to the floor.

Presenting office Cadi Dewi described how Moses allegedly screamed at another young person to whom she was face to face with: "Go on then, do it."

Moses also denies that she said, insisting the young person was acting aggressively towards her whilst she was sitting down in a vulnerable position.

Earlier the hearing heard claims that Moses made sexual advances to fellow staff and boasted "I can turn any straight woman gay."

In response she said this was a joke that was taken out of context.

Several other allegations of inappropriate conversations in the work place were made towards Moses, but she claims that she felt pressured to participate in conversations about her sex life due to unwanted questions from colleagues.

"The situation I was put in and the questions they were asking were unacceptable," said Moses.

In relation to an allegation made that stated Moses openly discussed her use of sex toys, she said that it was a colleague who initiated the conversation.

She indicated that she felt the questions that were directed at her were potentially discriminatory as they singled out her sexuality.

"Under the Discrimination Act 2010, I should not have been put in that situation at work," Moses told the pannel.

Moses is also alleged to have made several sexual advances to a colleague but claims it was she who was the victim of these advancements which were made against her.

Shetold the panel that a woman known as Colleague A confided in her and admitted she had feelings for her.

This then escalated over the next few days where Moses claimed the woman asked her to be her "f**k buddy" and attempted to kiss her on more than one occasion.

She also alleged that Colleague A pushed her breasts up against her and groped her crotch.

When asked why Moses had not reported these incidents, she said she was hoping she could deescalate the situation.

Earlier in the hearing, Colleague A gave evidence claiming that Moses "squeezed her left breast" and her bottom.

Colleague A told the the panel: "On one occasion she said she had masturbated while thinking of me.

"She was aware that I was married and in a relationship.

"She told me: "You need a distraction, I can be that distraction' and 'You'll need a safe word by the time I'm finished with you'."

Moses denies that she made these advancements and claims that Colleague A is the one who sexually pursued her by suggesting they book a hotel together.

Moses added that it took her months to realise she was the victim of these advancements.

The hearing continues.