A SCOTS carer has been given a three-year warning after calling a service user a “selfish b***h”.
Lucille Wilson unleashed a verbal tirade on the resident for not wanting to go to bed at Buccleuch Care Centre, Hawick, Scottish Borders, in July 2021.
The carer, from Hawick, repeatedly swore at the service user, calling her a “bloody liar” and saying that she ‘bloody wastes her time.’
She attempted to force the resident to go to bed against her wishes, while also telling her “you will do what I tell you to.”
Ms Wilson was also said to have pulled the table the resident was using away from her, so that she could hoover.
These actions, among other verbal put-downs, were considered to have caused the service user distress following an investigation by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
The panel also found that on an earlier occasion, Ms Wilson told the same service user that it was time for bed because she had had “too many falls” on her shift.
Upon the conclusion of the hearing, the social service worker was handed a three-year warning on her registration from Monday.
While referring to the resident as service user AA to protect her anonymity, the SSSC charges state: “On or around 24th July 2021, in relation to service user AA, who advised she didn’t want to go to bed, you did attempt to get AA to go to bed early against her wishes.
“State to AA ‘you will do what I tell you,’ or words to that effect. State to AA “you bloody waste my time, you’re not the only one I look after”, or words to that effect
“State to AA “you’re a bloody liar you’ve wasted my time”, or words to that effect. Tell AA she was a ‘selfish bitch’, or words to that effect.”
Ms Wilson was also charged with reacting inappropriately when a different service user swore at her.
While referring to this resident as service user BB, the SSSC wrote: “In response to service user BB swearing, state to BB in an aggressive tone ‘are you talking to me like that, you needn’t be talking to me like that, not having it’ or words to that effect.”
On making their decision, they added: “Social service workers are expected to communicate in an appropriate manner and treat service users with dignity and respect.
“Your aggressive and abusive behaviour towards AA was a failure to treat her with respect and caused her emotional harm and distress.
“You demonstrated similar behaviour in retaliation to service user BB swearing at you.
“Your behaviour in response to AA expressing her choice not to go to bed when you wanted her too, demonstrated a failure to understand your role as a social service worker in respecting the choices of service users.
“You appeared to be focused on your needs rather than that of AA’s.
“There was a pattern of behaviour over two days in relation to two different service users. This demonstrates an increased risk of repetition
“A reasonable member of the public in possession of all the information would expect the SSSC as the professional regulator for the social service workforce, to take further action and mark your behaviour as unacceptable.”
