A SCOTS autism practitioner who was caught driving while four times over the drink-driving limit has avoided being struck off the care register.
Elaine Gillespie was pulled over by police on the B921 in Glenrothes, Fife, in March last year.
Gillespie was the designated on-call carer at the time and was caught while on out on an emergency call to visit a vulnerable adult service user.
She was found to have 105 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath – exceeding the legal limit of 22 microgrammes in 100 m/l of breath.
In July this year at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court she was convicted for the offence.
Following an investigation by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) yesterday, the panel decided that Gillespie’s fitness to practise was impaired.
The SSSC allowed Gillespie to stay on the care register but issued her with a warning which will remain on their registration for 18 months.
The report stated: “Social services workers should not behave while in or outside of work in a way which would bring their suitability to work in social services into question.
“The SSSC considers your behaviour to be serious and to fall below the standards expected of registered workers.
“You failed to act lawfully and placed yourself and other people at risk of harm.”
The panel noted that Gillespie apologised for her behaviour and that it was an isolated incident in her many years in the care sector.
On making their decision, the panel decision read: “The SSSC has a duty to uphold proper standards of conduct and behaviour from social service workers.
“Registration with the SSSC provides members of the public with assurances that the SSSC is satisfied that you are fit to practise.
“A finding of impairment is necessary to maintain public confidence in the integrity of the register and in the SSSC as a regulator.
“After referring to our Decisions Guidance, we decided the appropriate sanction is to place a warning on your registration for a period of 18 months.”
