Research psychologist reprimanded for writing court report when under qualified

January 13, 2006
by staff reporter

A research psychologist has been reprimanded for writing a psychological assessment on a mother for court care proceedings when she was unsuitably qualified.

Sharon Ridgeway, who works for the National Center for Mental Health & Deafness, Mental Health Services of Salford NHS Trust, was reprimanded by a British Psychological Society conduct committee.

The committee heard this week that Ms Ridgeway accepted a council's request to carry out a psychological assessment of a mother - known only as Ms H - and to prepare a court report for care proceedings regarding her two children.

But the committee decided that Ms Ridgeway, a chartered research psychologist with a Phd, had failed to recognise the boundaries of her competence and had attempted to practise a form of psychology for which she did not have appropriate experience.

In particular, Ms Ridgeway failed to see the children alone or with their mother when preparing the report.

The committee decided Ms Ridgeway's report on Ms H in care proceedings was inadequate for court use.

The committee told Ms Ridgeway she must should complete an appropriate course of training in court report writing and inform the British Psychological Society of when she had done this.

She was also told to ensure that over the next three years
any court reports she writes are supervised.

Another psychologist had complained to the British Psychological Society about Ms Ridgeway's conduct after she had submitted her report to a court in September 2002.

Ms Ridgeway's report was never used in court.

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