A Fife carer has been handed a warning by the regulator for shouting at a colleague who bought frozen profiteroles for a service user.
Paula Husband, who works for Fife Council, has had a warning placed on her record for 18 months.
A report from the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) found a raft of allegations against Husband over a three-year period while she worked in Glenrothes proved.
This includes one incident where she allegedly threatened to have her partner “batter” a colleague.
Glenrothes social care worker threatened to have colleagues battered
The report says that on or around December 24 2019, Husband phoned her colleague – identified only as “ZZ” – while he was on annual leave,
It goes on to say Husband shouted at him, saying he had ruined a service user’s Christmas because he purchased frozen profiteroles.
On another occasion, the SSSC says Husband threatened to have her partner “batter” her colleagues and “kick their heads in”, or words to that effect.
In addition, Husband told her colleague, identified as “WW”, that she was a “backstabbing b******” and repeatedly called another co-worker a “fat lazy b******”, or words to that effect.
It was also found that, while subject to a disciplinary investigation by Fife Council, Husband called a colleague a “f******* snake” and threatened that there would be “repercussions”.
Finally, according to the SSSC, she also failed to carry out various important duties, including regular audits, supervision and training.
The regulator found that Husband’s behaviour was “serious” and “fell below the standards expected of social service workers”.
The report said: “You were in a senior role and threatened to have colleagues assaulted and failed to communicate in a respectful manner.
“Social service workers should not abuse, neglect or harm their colleagues.
“You have denied the allegations and shown limited insight, regret and
apology to the SSSC.
“There was a pattern of behaviour [and] there was a serious risk of harm to a service user and to your colleagues.
“There was an abuse of trust. You were in a senior position and verbally abused and threatened colleagues that you had supervisory responsibility for.”
Fife Council worker had a ‘good previous record’
It added that Husband, who was employed by the industry for more than 30 years, had co-operated with the SSSC throughout the investigation and had a good previous record.
As part of her sanction, Husband must make any employers aware of the warning on her registration, as well as undergo further learning and training.
Sharon McKenzie, head of HR with Fife Council, said : “As a responsible employer Fife Council does not comment on the individual circumstances of either current or former employees.”
It is not known what facility Husband was employed by at the time of the allegations, or whether she is still working in the industry.
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