A SCOTS carer was caught breaking lockdown rules after attending an indoor gender reveal party when deaths in care homes were of “national concern”.
Karen Greer mingled with around 20 people at the social gathering in October 2020 when the country was put into its first Covid lockdown.
She was employed as a care assistant at Hill View Care Home in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, at the time.
Greer was handed a warning on her registration by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) today after they found that she breached Covid-19 rules.
They said her actions were “pre-planned and deliberate” and revealed that Greer did not engage meaningfully with their investigation.
They also found that she expressed no insight, regret or apology for her actions – despite the fact that she could have been putting vulnerable care users at risk.
The National Records for Scotland report that 25 people from the care home died in relation to Covid-19 between March 2020 and May 2021.
On making their decision, the SSSC said: “You attended an indoor social gathering, namely a gender reveal party, with around twenty individuals present.
“This party occurred on or around 30 October 2020, during the first Covid lockdown, and at a point of time when the high number of deaths in care services were a national concern.
“This was at a point in time before Covid vaccinations were available, and those vulnerable adults in care services were most at risk of becoming seriously ill, or dying, from contracting Covid-19.
“Your behaviour had the potential to expose service users and colleagues to contracting Covid-19, given it was possible you could have contracted this by attending the gender reveal party, and infect those service users to whom you provided care, and colleagues, when you returned to work.
“The behaviour therefore showed disregard for those service users to whom you were providing care, and your colleagues, as well as disregard for the Government’s regulations and restrictions.”
The care industry regulator imposed a warning which will remain on Greer’s registration for six months.
