A Perthshire care worker has been struck off for a “pattern of dishonest behaviour”.
Taylor Kerrie Thomson was found to have breached the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) code of practice multiple times while working in the care sector.
This included a time when she failed to arrange medication for a service user and blamed the pharmacy for not having it ready.
While working as a care co-ordinator for Kippen Care Services, Thomson was found to have done the following:
- Provided two observation scores on colleagues to her manager, without carrying out an observation
- Failed to arrange medication for a service user, resulting in them not receiving medication
- Told the service user that an error at the pharmacy was the reason their medication was not ready
- Failed to attend the same service user’s home despite logging they had done so
- Advised several colleagues that the visiting times for multiple service users had been reduced, despite this not being true.
The SSSC further found that while working as a care co-ordinator for Mitchell & Murdoch Care, Thomson failed to take action after a junior colleague had manually evacuated a service user’s bowels.
Thomson also failed to tell her next employer, Balhousie, that she was being investigated by the SSSC and that she was suspended from the part of the register for supervisors.
The watchdog found evidence that in her application for a role at ION Care Services, Thomson failed to mention she had previously worked for Kippen and Mitchell & Murdoch.
Furthermore, in an interview with ION, she failed to inform the firm about her SSSC suspension.
The SSSC found Thomson’s fitness to practise was impaired as a result of the findings.
‘Serious concerns about character and integrity’
A report by the SSSC said: “Your behaviour raises serious concerns about your character and integrity.
“Social service workers are expected to be reliable, dependable, honest, and trustworthy.
“Social service workers are also entrusted not to put others at risk of harm and to meet the relevant standards of practice.
“Your actions show a pattern of dishonest behaviour.”
Perth care worker put service users ‘at risk of harm’
The report added that Thomson had not engaged with the investigation and had put service users “at risk of harm”.
Kippen Care Services declined to comment on the report.
The Courier has approached Mitchell & Murdoch Care Services, Balhousie Care Services and ION Care Services for comment.
We have been unable to reach Thomson for a response.
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