A MENTAL health nurse snuck into the loft above the care home he managed for a sex session with a colleague, a disciplinary hearing was told.
John Macmillan Rossi is alleged to have had other “sexually motivated” meetings in the property with the woman, who claimed she was pressured into the relationship.
Colleague A, who was on a zero hours contract, claimed Mr Rossi suggested she would get a full-time job in return.
The hearing in Edinburgh was told that Mr Rossi’s liaisons meant he did not properly attend to his work and was not available for emergencies.
But Mr Rossi, who was manager of the Littleinch Nursing Home in Erskine, Renfrewshire at the time of the incidents in October and November 2015, denies the charges against him.
It is alleged that Mr Rossi met with care assistant Colleague A once in the “loft” and twice in room 109 for “purposes other than work”.
It is also alleged that his meetings “were sexually motivated” and, as a result, he “did not adequately attend to his duties at the home” and was “not available in case of an emergency”.
Care home director Irvine Watson gave evidence to the hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
He said: “I came to hear rumours that John was in a relationship with colleague A, who was on a zero hours contract.
“It was rumoured that they were meeting each other in rooms in the care home.
“During an informal meeting with colleague A she broke down. She said she was being pressured into a relaitonship under the suggestion she would get a full-time contact.
“At this stage I believed colleague A had been coerced into a relationship with John.”
Mr Watson revealed that the police had been called to the care home and interviewed the distressed care assistant for three hours and Mr Rossi was immediately suspended.
He continued: “I asked colleague A if she wanted the police to be called and she agreed.
“I called the police who arrived and questioned colleague A.
“They concluded that it was a consensual relationship and found no evidence of coercion.”
The case presenter for the NMC, Yusuf Segovia, asked Mr Watson: “What did colleague A say about the loft at the disciplinary hearing?”
Mr Watson replied: “John Rossi did touch her in private places and put his hand down below. She said this did happen on one occasion.
“I don’t think he threatened her with a job at that stage.”
But Deborah Russell, representing Mr Rossi, told the hearing: “Mr Rossi’s position is that he didn’t meet with Colleague A for any purporses other than work.
“His conduct was not sexually motivated and that he was available at all times to perform his duties.”
Ms Russell said Mr Rossi’s powers did not extend to hiring or firing staff and that Colleague A was on a 36-hour contract at the time.
Litteinch can look after up to 40 patients and caters for the elderly and those suffering from dementia and physical disability.
The home also cares for patients requiring more specialist treatment including alzheimer’s, cancer care, downs syndrome, and Parkinson’s disease.
The hearing continues.
