Scots care worker issued warning after implying he would “happily” smother vulnerable resident

A SCOTS care worker has been issued with a warning after implying to colleagues that he would “happily” smother a vulnerable resident in his care.

Stuart Smith was given a warning of six months by regulator Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) on Friday.

Smith from Dunblane, Stirlingshire was found guilty of telling colleagues he “could happily put a pillow over resident AA’s face” in December 2019.

Smith was also found to have threatened a resident, shouting “leave your hearing aid alone or I’ll take it off you”, before removing the aforementioned hearing aid from the same resident.

The support worker had been employed by Care UK Ltd at Caledonian Court Care Home in Larbert, Falkirk when he made the threats.

The SSSC panel stated in their report: “On or around 30 December 2019, while employed as a care assistant by Care UK Ltd at Caledonian Court Care Home in Larbert and during the course of that employment, you did:

“1. in relation to resident AA, who was seated in a dining room with other residents: a. raise your voice and state ‘leave your hearing aid alone or I’ll take it off you’ or words to that effect.

“b. take AA’s hearing aid away from her

“2. state to your colleagues ZZ and YY, in the presence of resident BB, that you could happily put a pillow over resident AA’s face, or words to that effect.”

The panel found that Smith’s fitness to practice was impaired, continuing: “Your fitness to practise is impaired because:

“a. Social Service Workers must communicate in an appropriate, open, honest and trustworthy manner. They must not abuse, neglect or harm people who use services, carers or colleagues.

“On two separate occasions on the same day, and in relation to two separate individuals, you displayed a momentary loss of self-control and as a result, acted in an apparently frustrated manner.

“On one occasion, you removed a hearing aid from a resident and placed it outwith her reach.

“On a second occasion, you made a flippant comment about a resident, within the presence of another resident and your colleagues.

“b. While your conduct was not intended to be harmful, your actions lacked compassion and you displayed a lack of care, consideration and an absence of self-control.

“It is not unreasonable to expect that individuals who are vulnerable, may react differently to this type of conduct than others who are not so vulnerable.

“On the second occasion, you made a flippant comment about a person who uses services outwith their presence, but within the presence of another resident.

“While it may have been intended as a frivolous remark, the comment had the potential to cause offence and was one which vulnerable individuals could have found upsetting and potentially distressing.”

The panel agreed that a warning for six months should be imposed. They stated: “Your behaviour occurred in the workplace.

“Rather than becoming abrupt and frustrated, you should have been providing care to residents in a compassionate and understanding manner.

“You behaved in a frustrated manner towards two different individuals in different circumstances. Your behaviour has the potential to cause emotional distress to people who use services.

“People who use services have the right to be treated with compassion and understanding.

“Failing to treat service users with dignity and compassion can have a significant impact upon vulnerable individuals, indeed more so than upon those not so vulnerable.

“After explaining the consequences of not asking for a hearing, and recommending you take legal advice, you have not asked that the case is referred to a Fitness to Practise Panel.

“We are therefore permitted by the rules to impose this warning on your registration.”