Steven Wenman

Introduction

Steven Wenman is a registered nurse who worked as a deputy manager at two care homes on the Fylde coast in Lancashire, first at Alexandra Care Home in Poulton-le-Fylde and later at Nightingales Care Home in Cleveleys. In 2026, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Fitness to Practise Committee removed him from the nursing register after a virtual hearing found he had sexually harassed, bullied and breached professional boundaries with female colleagues at both homes, including making an explicit remark to a staff member while she made a cup of coffee.

Background Information

Wenman was employed as deputy manager at Alexandra Care Home in Poulton-le-Fylde from March 2023 until September 2023. On 15 October 2023, he started working at Nightingales Care Home in Cleveleys, initially as a clinical lead, and was later promoted to Deputy Manager on 1 April 2024. A former colleague who gave evidence about him told the panel, “I do think he (Wenman) is a fantastic nurse, but he is too flirty,” describing an invitation to a staff night out and adding, “I don’t trust him as I am unsure if he is joking or not.”

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Adjudicated. The findings in this section come from an NMC Fitness to Practise Committee, which found the allegations proven and issued its sanction. These are regulatory findings, not criminal convictions.

At Alexandra Care Home, concerns about Wenman’s conduct and professionalism were raised with Ms Sarah Fowler. It was alleged he sent inappropriate messages to Colleague A that breached professional boundaries, in that they were sent outside working hours and were flirtatious or sexual in nature. At an investigation meeting attended by both Wenman and Fowler, he accepted sending these 17 messages but denied any sexual motivation or malice, stating he considered Colleague A to be like a daughter to him, while commenting that she did not have any face piercings. At a disciplinary hearing on 25 September 2023, chaired by home manager Ms Kerry Howell, Wenman accepted he sent the text messages and that the comment about face piercings may be considered judgmental, but denied it created a degrading, offensive or humiliating environment or that the comments had a sexual motivation. The panel also heard that Wenman made unwanted and flirtatious remarks to colleagues, even saying to one female staff member when making a cup of coffee, “It won’t be as good as I made you in bed this morning”.

At Nightingales, Wenman told the home manager, Ms Carole Harrison, that he had been dismissed from his previous employment and characterised the dismissal as being for trying to help someone. Concerns were raised about his conduct and professionalism towards female colleagues. It was alleged he sent messages to Colleague C that were inappropriate and made her feel uncomfortable, and Colleague C raised concerns about his conduct towards Colleague B, which she suggested was bullying. Colleague D disclosed that Wenman interacted with her in a jovial and jokey manner, but the nature of the comments, the disparity in his seniority with these colleagues and the full context of the allegations gave rise to concern. The panel was also told Wenman told a colleague that she “can pay me with your body” and sent a message reading, “I found the secret message that you left on your desk for me, Just tell me where and when.”

During the two-week virtual Fitness to Practise Committee hearing, Wenman was proven to have used suggestive and/or flirtatious language, ignored specific colleagues, sent inappropriate and unwanted text messages of a sexual nature, and violated a colleague’s dignity and/or created an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. The committee found his fitness to practise was impaired by reason of misconduct, noting the concerns related to sexual misconduct and bullying in the workplace and were attitudinal in nature.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The committee concluded that Wenman’s actions were not at the lower end of the spectrum and that there was a risk to public safety, as colleagues are deemed members of the public. It noted significant time had passed since the charges arose and that Wenman had failed to adequately demonstrate insight, reflection or undertake remediation. Having regard to the effect of his actions in bringing the profession into disrepute by adversely affecting the public’s view of how a registered nurse should conduct himself, the panel concluded nothing short of a striking-off order would be sufficient, saying the order was necessary to mark the importance of maintaining public confidence in the profession and to send to the public and the profession a clear message about the standard of behaviour required of a registered nurse. Concluding, the committee said nurses “occupy a position of privilege and trust in society” and that “Patients and their families must be able to trust nurses with their lives and the lives of their loved ones.”

Current Status

Wenman has been struck off the NMC register, with the striking-off order accompanied by an interim 18-month suspension order pending any appeal. During his evidence, he made it clear to the NMC Fitness to Practise Committee that he does not wish to return to nursing.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The striking-off order ends Wenman’s registered nursing career, and his own evidence that he does not wish to return to nursing removes the prospect of a voluntary return to the profession. His conduct at Alexandra Care Home led to the end of that role in September 2023, a dismissal he later characterised to his next employer as being for trying to help someone. The case, reported by the Blackpool Gazette under the headline “Pay me with your body - Nurse struck off for sexual harassing & bullying colleagues at Fylde coast care homes”, was framed by the committee as a warning about sexual misconduct and bullying in care settings, where colleagues are deemed members of the public for the purposes of public safety.