A FORMER healthcare manager for an Oxfordshire special needs school who shared "sexually motivated" texts with a child has been struck off.

Keith Intes-Campbell, a registered nurse who worked at Swalcliffe Park School in Banbury, was found to have "sought sexual gratification" in messages with a 14-year-old boy with autism. 

The boy was not a patient or a pupil at the school.

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Mr Intes-Campbell was referred for his "inappropriate" behaviour to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) who gave him a striking off order on May 5 which he has 28 days to appeal.

This behaviour included sending inappropriate messages on 15 June 2019 that included asking the child what colour pyjamas he was wearing, if his father was aware of their communication, and offering his telephone number on multiple occasions.

When the 14-year-old boy said that his father didn't know they were chatting Mr Intes-Campbell replied: "Probably a good thing" and "He might object, lol".

The questions surrounding what pyjama's the child was wearing were found to be sexually motivated as Mr Intes-Campbell "sought sexual gratification" from them.

A Local Authority Designated Officer who offered evidence at the trial said these text messages could indicate the early stages of grooming.

When imposing the striking off sanction the NMC took into account that Mr Intes-Campbell had demonstrated a "lack of integrity", "sexually motivated conduct", "Lack of full insight into his misconduct", and "Conduct which put a vulnerable child at risk of suffering harm".

They also took into account mitigating features such as "Early admissions of the facts", "No previous NMC findings", "Has shown some insight into his conduct", and "Has apologised and has shown remorse for conduct".

In their decision to take striking off action the panel committee found Mr Intes-Campbell’s misconduct had "breached the fundamental tenets of the nursing profession and therefore brought its reputation into disrepute."

Mr Intes-Campbell did not attend the hearing but submitted in writing: "I am wholly to blame for my actions and for any emotional harm I have caused the boy."

"Truly sorry for the harm and distress that I have caused them during this trying time."

The Vice-Principal Swalcliffe Park referred the incident to the NMC on 23 October 2019 after being contacted by the National Crime Agency about the inappropriate texts and carrying out an internal investigation.

A spokesperson for the school said: "Safeguarding of students is our priority and while the allegations were unrelated to the school, we took immediate action to suspend and then dismiss the individual concerned and report him to the NMC.

"He had been with the school for less than a year."

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