A senior carer in a Perthshire home for the elderly has been struck off after putting residents at risk by shoving a drawing pin into a door alarm so she could go out for a cigarette.
Christine Cunningham was sacked from her post at the Balhousie care home in Luncarty, where some of the clients have alzheimer’s and dementia, after the incident in May last year.
A Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) sub-committee ruled in a judgment published yesterday that it was satisfied, on the balance of probability, that she had acted as alleged.
She had been charged with inserting the drawing pin into the front door alarm of the home on Scarth Road to prevent it from activating when she went outside to smoke.
In addition, the sub-committee found she had gone for a smoke with a colleague leaving only one member of staff in the home and had been smoking outside the front door of the villa, not in an authorised smoking area.
In doing so, the sub-committee found she had failed to work in a safe way, and placed vulnerable service users and her colleagues at risk of harm.
It also ruled that Cunningham had been told before not to disable the alarm and had ignored the warning.
In a separate incident, it found she had failed to obtain additional medication when residents’ medication ran out, resulting in them not receiving their meds for a period of time.
Finding that her behaviour constituted misconduct, the sub-committee said her actions had fallen “far short” of the standard expected of a person registered with the SSSC, and it was decided her name should be removed from the register for supervisors in a Care Home Service for Adults.
The sub-committee said her actions were aggravated by the fact she was supposed to be a “Fire Champion” and, as such, was aware of the risks and requirements of health and safety.
It said: “Her acts were reckless and negligent. She (Cunningham) has shown very limited insight and no remorse in relation to her acts and omissions.”
The sub-committee added that they had received no submission from Christine Cunningham and therefore saw no evidence “of a willingness to change”.
“Her acts and omissions also amounted to an abuse of trust, not only to service users and colleagues, but to the public at large.”
A spokeswoman for Balhousie Care said yesterday: “Ms Cunningham was dismissed from her role as senior carer at Luncarty House Care Home as a result of an internal investigation which deemed her actions unacceptable and failed to deliver the professionalism, respect and quality of care expected by the organisation. The decision has been supported by the Scottish Social Services Council.
“The incident in question was reported by Balhousie Care Group to all appropriate authorities.”
She added: “Balhousie Care take every effort to deliver good quality care to all residents entrusted to us, this will continue to be our priority.”