A SCOTS carer has been struck off after being caught stealing money from a care user with dementia on several occasions.
Julie Drummond managed to take £135 from the elderly woman whilst being employed by Scottish Borders Council as a support worker with SB Cares.
Between September and November 2019 Drummond managed to swipe money that was left for a family friend who would check in on the woman at her home on six separate occasions.
She was only found out after woman’s children became suspicious and set up recording equipment in the living room.
After viewing the video footage and hearing evidence from the children, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) removed Drummond from their register on Friday.
The allegations, referring to the woman as AA, stated: “You did take sums of money from service user AA, a service user with dementia, without their knowledge and consent in that between on or around 14 September 2019 and 16 September 2019, you took £45 from AA’s home.
“Between on or around 1 November 2019 and 2 November 2019, you took £30 from AA’s home.
“Between on or around 10 November 2019 and 11 November 2019, you took £10 from AA’s home
“Between on or around 25 November 2019 and 26 November 2019,
you took £20 from AA’s home.
“Between on or around 27 November 2019 and 28 November 2019, you took £20 from AA’s home.
“On or around 4 December 2019, you took £10 from AA’s home.
“By your actions above, act dishonestly as you deliberately took money from AA without their permission.
“On dates unknown to the SSSC, but believed to be on or around 7 December 2019, fail to inform your professional regulator, the SSSC, that you had been charged by Police Scotland with a criminal offence of theft, as required.”
Drummond chose not to attend the hearing but denied the allegations.
On making their decision to remove the support worker from their register, the SSSC said: “The panel considered the evidence contained in the bundle and the three short video clips, together with the oral evidence.
“The panel considered that there was financial abuse of a vulnerable service user in her own home which amounted to a significant breach of trust.
“It is clear that the service user and her family were harmed by the behaviour.
“Theft causes financial harm and, given the theft took place from the service user’s own home, is also potentially emotionally harmful.
“The conduct is serious and amounts to a significant abuse of trust.
“The panel considers that a removal order is the most appropriate sanction as it is both necessary and justified in the public interest and to maintain continuing trust and confidence in the social services profession.
“The panel is of the view that such conduct is fundamentally incompatible with being a registered worker.”
A Scottish Borders Council spokesperson said: “We are unable to comment on individual staffing matters.”
