Uila Esera
On 25 November 2013, Uila Esera acted aggressively towards a young person, LME, who was a resident of the Child, Youth and Family Whakatakapokai Care and Protection Residence in Manurewa. Mr Esera then used inappropriate physical force on the young person. On 2 May 2014, Mr Esera assaulted Grant Bennett, the General Manager of the Child, Youth and Family Residential and High Needs Service, by punching him in the head and face. After a Judge-alone trial on 12 June 2015, Mr Esera was found guilty of a criminal charge of common assault under s 196 of the Crimes Act 1961, punishable by one year imprisonment. Mr Esera's conduct on both occasions was in breach of the Code of Conduct issued by the Social Workers Registration Board pursuant to s 105 of the Act, which provides that to uphold high standards of personal conduct and act with integrity a social worker is expected to refrain from any professional or personal behaviour that puts at risk the individual's and/or the profession's reputation and compromises the social worker's ability to work with the client in a fully professional and caring manner
An order pursuant to s. 83(1)(a)(i) that Mr Esera's registration be cancelled; An order of censure pursuant to s. 83(1)(b) to express the Tribunal's strong disapproval for the conduct it was required to consider with regard to Mr Esera's gross professional misconduct; An order pursuant to s. 83(1)(e) that Mr Esera pay a total of $5000 towards the costs and expenses of and incidental to the inquiry by the CAC, the prosecution of the charge by the CAC and the hearing.