A CARER has been struck off after he was found to have enlisted a stranger to cover one of his shifts at a care home.
Obinna Ihionu was employed by Florence Staffing Ltd when he asked an unregistered individual “unknown” to his employers to cover his shift for him in February 2023.
In an attempt to subsequently cover his tracks, Ihionu even went as far as providing a written statement describing the shift he had supposedly covered at Erskine House in Glasgow.
The disgraced carer was put in front of care watchdog the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) who elected to remove him from the register, citing a “breach of trust”.
In a full report explaining their decision, the SSSC wrote: “We decided there is evidence that on or around 12 February 2023, while employed as a carer by Florence Staffing Ltd in Glasgow, and during the course of that employment, you did:
“Arrange for an unknown individual to attend for your shift at Erskine Home without the knowledge of your employer.
“By your actions, act dishonestly in that you attempted to conceal your failure to attend your shift.
“On or around 23 March 2023, you did provide a written account of the shift you allege you undertook at Erskine Home by email to the SSSC.
“By your allegations act dishonestly in that you had not attended that shift.”
The SSSC went on to conclude: “Social service workers are required to be reliable, dependable and should honour work commitments and, when it is not possible to do so, explain why to their employer.
“Failing to report for duty, or to be open and honest with your employer about your unavailability to do so, was a breach of the trust placed in you by your employer and the company who sought to hire you.
“You failed to tell your employer you were unable to attend your shift and sent an unknown person to cover your shift.
“You then produced a detailed account of the shift you supposedly undertook and provided this to the SSSC in order to mislead the SSSC.
“Your behaviour was dishonest and undermined the trust placed in you by virtue of your registered role.
“By asking an unknown person who, to our knowledge, is not a registered worker to cover your shift, you undermined the protection and accountability that comes from services and the SSSC knowing who is working with service users.
“[You] thereby placed service users at risk of both physical and emotional harm.
“Your behaviour was reckless and demonstrates that you were willing to potentially jeopardise the health, safety and welfare of service users for your own ends.”
