Murdered Liam Fee was "failed" by a social worker who did not assess the risks he faced from his mother and her partner, a hearing was told.

Social workers involved in the Fife Council child protection team in charge of his case were "meant to be professional people" but were instead "concerned with childish games", the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) conduct committee heard.

Lesley Bate, 60, faces 13 charges relating to 16 children, including allegations she "failed to take necessary steps to minimise actual or potential risk of harm" to toddler Liam Fee.

Karen Pedder, team manager of the child protection team and Ms Bate's former line manager, gave evidence on Thursday.

She said Ms Bate did "as little as possible to get by" in her work.

Ms Pedder had told the murder trial of Rachel Trelfa or Fee and Nyomi Fee over Liam's death that he had "fallen off the radar" after Ms Bate went off sick in April 2013.

On Thursday, she ran through the history of Liam Fee's case within her team and said Ms Bate had not taken any action even after it emerged the Fees had lied about taking the toddler to a GP when concerns were raised about a neck injury he suffered.

Ms Pedder said: "The referral came from a childminder on January 15, 2013, and it was allocated to Lesley Bate.

"She created an entry on the computer system relating to a joint investigation visit and that the health visitor and school were to be contacted.

"It said there was no further social work involvement required."

Asked by solicitor Gary Burton, presenting the case for the SSSC, if contact with the school and health visitor should be noted in the system, Ms Pedder said: "Yes. But there is no evidence that took place.

"No further action took place between January 15 and the next referral in February.

"An email was received in February from a social work assistant who was friendly with his childminder saying he had a sore neck.

"The parents were asked and said he had been taken to a GP. That was checked and he had never been to the doctor."

Ms Pedder said there was no record of conversations taking place with Liam's health visitor, childminder or nursery following the February contact despite Ms Bate having been explicitly told to follow it up.

Mr Burton asked: "Having considered this and given the lack of follow up what would your comment be on whether she took the necessary steps to minimise actual or potential risk of harm?"

Ms Pedder replied: "In my view, she failed to take appropriate steps to assess the full risk of any potential harm that might be around for the child."

She added: "My perception was Lesley Bate did as little as possible to get by and was happy for other people to do her work."

Speaking of an atmosphere of division within her team, referred to earlier in the hearing by other staff, Ms Pedder said there were "several different personalities" within the unit.

She said: "The situation was very difficult to manage. They were meant to be professional people, not concerned with childish games."

The sub-committee was earlier told Ms Bate has "relinquished" her SSSC registration but does not admit any wrongdoing in relation to the charges.

The hearing is expected to conclude on Friday.