A SCOTS carer has been given a warning after being found to have used a recording device to eavesdrop on colleagues.
Alice Moore was also found to have accepted a request for a service user to gift her £600 in his will.
The support worker from Lerwick, Shetland Islands had been employed by Shetland Islands Council during the time of the incidents in August 2018.
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) found Moore’s fitness to practise impaired and have placed a warning on her registration for the next 18 months.
Moore was found to have provided a colleague with a listening and recording device in an attempt to eavesdrop on workplace conversations.
The SSSC stated: “Social service workers are also expected to respect the privacy of service users and act in a respectful manner to colleagues.
“In intending that a listening/recording device be set up in your workplace without the knowledge of your colleagues or service users, you risked infringing on their privacy.”
The caregiver was also found to have agreed to allow a service user to leave her money in his will after the man had commented how he would like to give her cash but knew it wasn’t allowed.
The incident occurred between March 2020 and February 2021 and Moore had stated to the service user: “Well, you can leave me money in your will – it’s legal”.
She was also found during this time to have suggested £600 as the amount of money to leave her in service user AA’s will, which he did however the gift was later removed.
The care watchdog opted not to remove Moore from their register but opt for a warning for the caregiver.
Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) stated: “We decided there is evidence that while employed as a Social Care Worker by Shetland Islands Council at Support @ Home (Shetland) in Lerwick and during the course of that employment you did:
“Between on or around 13 March 2020 and 26 February 2021 in relation to service user AA
a. when AA told you that he would like to give you money for the extra help you gave him but that he knew he was not allowed to.
“State to AA ‘well you can leave me money in your will – its legal’ or words to that effect.
“Suggest £600 to AA as an amount of money he could leave you in his will.
“By your actions at 1.a. above, cause or contribute to AA making a bequest for you in his will.
“In or around August 2018, provide colleague ZZ with a listening/recording device.
“By your actions at allegation 2, intend that: A) ZZ would set up the device at your workplace B) You would be able to covertly listen to workplace conversations.”
The SSSC agreed that Moore was found to have shown little understanding of the severity of her actions.
They stated: “You have demonstrated limited insight, the behaviour was directly related to your work as a social service worker.
“Your behaviour was likely to have caused some harm to AA.”
The panel agreed that Moore’s fitness to practice was impaired, stating: “As a social service worker, you are expected to communicate in an appropriate, open and straightforward manner.
“While the comments you made to AA are to be regarded as made without financial motivation, they were prone to be misinterpreted, as they actually were.
“Your comment resulted in AA, a vulnerable person, making you a bequest which risked damage to AA’s estate and beneficiaries.
“Your behaviour was likely to have caused some emotional harm to AA. He required to remove the bequest from his will and was apprehensive at you returning to provide support.
“Your behaviour towards AA could have been regarded as a lighthearted comment, albeit with serious consequences.
“As such, there is little to suggest there are fundamental issues with your values.
“However, it is likely that a reasonable member of the public would have concerns about a social service worker, in a position of trust, being left a bequest in the will of a vulnerable service user as a result of their own comments, even if light-hearted in nature.
The panel agreed that a warning was the most appropriate sanction.
They stated: “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.
“The behaviour was directly related to your work as a social service worker. Your behaviour was likely to have caused some harm to AA.”
Moore was shown to have co-operated with the SSSC, providing positive testimonials of her character and practice.
The 18-month warning came into effect on Saturday.
