A NURSERY nurse “force fed a toddler until they gagged”, it has been claimed.
Jacqueline Crossan allegedly fed a child as young as three against their will and told them “you need to eat this food”.
It is also claimed that she caused a youngster to “bang their head against a doorframe” and she roughly handled other children.
The 54-year-old from Livingston, West Lothian, is set to attend a Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) later this month to answer for her actions.
She strongly denies the allegations, saying today that “none of them are true” and claiming that “people have turned on me who I thought were my friends”.
If the panel find the charges proven, the mother-of-two could be removed from the register and banned from the profession.
At the hearing, which is scheduled to last five days, Ms Crossan faces eight charges, all of which relate to a time between April 2012 and September 2013 while employed with Bright Horizons Family Solutions.
One charge reads that she “force fed a service user until they gagged or screamed”, and “stated to said service user ‘you need to eat this food’ or words to that effect”.
On another occasion, she held a toddler’s hand and walked with them behind her, resulting in their “head hitting a doorframe”.
Following the incident, she allegedly “swore in the presence of service users using the word f***, or words to that effect”.
Rough
Another charge states that Ms Crossan “roughly handled and abruptly placed service user AA on a changing mat”, and said to them “I am speaking to your Daddy about your behaviour”.
She also shouted at service user BB “you’re in for a shock when you come into the toddler room”, it is claimed.
A further charge reads that she “pointed at her colleague ZZ and stated to her ‘you’d better watch your back’.”
She allegedly made a pregnant colleague change nappies, “despite her agreement with a senior colleague that she was not to change any nappies on larger children due to her pregnancy”.
Speaking from her home in Livingston, Ms Crossan said: “None of these allegations are true. It’s absolute nonsense.
“I know that I can sleep at night because I know that none of them are true. Everyone who knows me knows I love children.
“I am not attending the hearing. I do not have the strength to face my case so I will have to turn my back on it.
“Me and my partner just want to move on. I just want to get away from it as quickly as possible.”
Fabricated
She claimed: “It’s all fabricated. I cannot believe that people can be so hurtful and so low, it’s absolutely appalling.”
She worked at the nursery for six and a half years, but left in 2013 after the allegations were made against her.
“It has just put me off – I’m not going to be a nurse anymore,” she added.
The panel will listen to evidence at the hearing and determine whether the charges constitute misconduct and whether the worker has breached the SSSC Code of Practice.
They may then decide to give Ms Crossan a warning, a sanction or to remove her from the register.
Ms Crossan has said that she will not be attending the hearing, but will be represented.
