A Dundee childcare worker who slapped a 16-year-old boy across the face in a flare-up in a Perthshire home has been found not guilty of professional misconduct.
Alison Gass, of Broughty Ferry, immediately regretted the incident, the hearing of the Scottish Social Services Council was told.
She admitted what she had done and hugged the boy, as she was remorseful, but she was suspended straight away and dismissed the following day from her post at Tus Nua Child Care Services Ltd, Kindrum House, Logiealmond.
The SSSC sub-committee considered whether or not the behaviour of Gass constituted misconduct and if she breached the code of practice, a ruling which could have resulted in her being struck off.
Gass did not attend the hearing in Dundee and indicated she did not wish to be involved in the process to determine her outcome.
Home operator Linda Reid, 55, said she set up Tus Nua Gaelic for new beginnings for young people who could not function with foster families, and their behaviour could be challenging.
There were two teenagers in the home at the time of the episode on March 25 2012, a girl and a 16-year-old boy.
He had Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and could be quite aggressive.
She said: “The young girl was frightened of him and he would threaten staff and the young people in the home. He would also behave in a sexualised way towards the young girl and staff, and he needed constant supervision.”
She cited one occasion when two staff members were with the girl when the 16-year-old boy rushed into the room, touched the girl’s breasts and ran off.
Staff had to be ready to deal with his incidents, but the home had a policy of non-restraint and staff had to be capable of de-escalating situations.
“He would swear, threaten and pick things up and threaten to throw them,” she said.
Asked if all of these incidents were documented, she said they were not, as “someone would have needed to follow him all the time with a Dictaphone”.
Home manager Lorraine Grant, 48, said that on the morning of March 25 Gass was preparing breakfast for the girl and the 16-year-old boy when the flare-up occurred.
Ms Grant stepped out of the room for a few seconds to lock away scissors and when she returned she found there had been some commotion, and Gass said she had slapped the boy’s face.
“He was initially shocked and Alison offered to hug him. He ran to the lounge and his face was red. Alison was very remorseful and it was obviously an instantaneous thing.”
The incident was logged and the manager said Gass told her she approached the boy to get between him and the girl and asked him to put down two heavy boards used for doing jigsaw puzzles.
He turned towards Gass and shouted in her face, and Gass said she immediately lifted her hand and hit his cheek in an automatic reaction.
The manager immediately reported the incident and was advised to suspend Gass straight away. Gass was called back the next day, where she was dismissed for gross miscoduct for slapping the boy.
The sub-committee went into private session after a submission on the case from SSSC representative Mr S Gallacher. They returned with a finding of no misconduct, meaning there will be no further action.