A care worker in Forfar who threatened a client with a cold shower and tickled another after being told to stop has been reprimanded.
Debbie Smith, a former home carer with Unicare-Homecare Limited in Forfar, was investigated amid complaints about her behaviour while working for the company in 2019 and 2020.
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) accepted Ms Smith’s explanation that her actions were “banter” rather than deliberately abusive.
But she was given a warning by the ombudsman over the “inappropriate” behaviour that will stay on her record for 12 months.
A report said that, prior to February 2020, Smith had “cuddled” one client, identified as “AA”, who was living with dementia.
Forfar carer ‘tickled’ client despite being told to stop
The carer was also alleged to have washed AA in a “rough manner” as well as “tickle or poke” them on numerous occasions.
The tickling continued despite AA telling Smith to “stop it” and attempting to push her away, the report added.
Smith was said to have been “rough” with several other clients, including during an incident in June last year while she worked with the Forfar-based home care firm.
The report describes how she “repeatedly pushed” one client, CC, causing them to fall.
Reprimand for incorrect manual handling procedure
In relation to the same client, Smith was heard to say “just you wait until shower day, cold shower for you”, and “I will get you back”, or words to that effect.
The regulator also set out several others incidents where Smith used manual handling equipment incorrectly.
“You have repeatedly failed to follow the correct moving and handling guidelines or care plans and have been rough in your treatment of users of services, which placed them at risk of physical harm,” it said.
Carer’s actions were ‘banter’ and not ‘deliberatively abusive’
Despite accepting Ms Smith’s “banter” explanation, officials said: “Nonetheless the behaviour is inappropriate.
“Repetition of the behaviour would place users of services at risk of harm, both physical and psychological,” they said.
The finding continued: “You have cuddled users of services and attempted to tickle or poke them, you did this despite being asked by the user of services to stop and thereby caused them upset and placed them at risk of psychological harm.”
Clients ‘placed at risk of psychological harm’
In its decision, the regulator said that Smith had not worked in care since the incidents took place, while Unicare-Homecare confirmed she was no longer employed by the company.
Whilst Smith had cooperated with the SSSC process, it said she had not shown any insight into the behaviour.
A warning will remain on her record for 12 months, and she will be required to undertake training within three months.
