A Dundee City Council social worker who grabbed a nine-year-old girl’s arm has been given a warning after admitting misconduct.
Linda Connell was at the child’s home when she carried out what the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) ruled was an inappropriate physical restraint.
She grabbed the girl by her wrist and forearm and tried to remove a mobile phone from her hand.
An SSSC report said: “Her behaviour may have resulted in the service user being injured and may have caused fear and distress.
“She misused her power, abused her position and placed the service user at a risk of harm.”
In Ms Connell’s favour, the SSSC said there had been no concerns about her behaviour since the incident in July 2012 and she had a good history with her employer.
She had cooperated with the investigation, admitted the facts at an early stage and shown insight and regret.
The report said: “She showed a willingness to respond to further training and attended a five-day training course with Dundee City Council and Tayside Police regarding child protection and investigatory interviewing.
“All of the evidence we have suggests that she has learned from this incident and there is no real risk of repeating this behaviour.”
The formal warning will be imposed on her registration with the SSSC for two years.