A Perthshire carer who took cocaine into a care home has been handed a one-year warning.
Kyle Taylor was employed as a support worker by Hillcrest Futures in Crieff when the incident occurred on or around September 13 last year.
The 24-year-old was not on shift at the time and “misplaced” the drug while visiting the Milnab Street facility to check the rota.
But despite realising what had happened, the care regulator says Taylor failed to contact his colleagues and warn them.
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) found that Taylor’s actions had “placed service users at risk of harm” had they found the drugs.
The watchdog said: “While you were not on shift at the time of the behaviour, you entered your place of work with a class A drug in your possession and failed to contact your employer or colleagues when you realised you had dropped this.
“Your actions placed service users at risk of harm should they have found the drugs.”
Carer handed one-year warning
The SSSC says that Taylor, who no longer works at the Crieff care home, had admitted the behaviour and shown “significant insight and regret”.
The report says this insight and the “remote” risk of repeated behaviour mean there are no ongoing public protection concerns.
The report added: “However, your behaviour compromises the confidence in the social services profession and falls short of the professionalism expected of a social service worker.”
The support worker has now been handed a one-year warning, meaning any further issues could lead to suspension or removal from the SSSC register.
Prior to the incident, he had a clean record in the care industry.
A spokesperson for the Crieff care home said: “We can confirm that this person is no longer employed by Hillcrest Futures.”
The Courier was unable to reach Taylor for comment.
