Care home worker Neil Cowan struck off for committing solo sex acts in Dunfermline street

A support worker who was twice caught committing a solo sex act in the middle of a Fife street has been banned from working in the care industry.

Care home worker Neil Cowan found himself in the dock over his behaviour near Amazon’s Dunfermline warehouse last year.

In a written ruling published earlier this month, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) found his fitness to practise impaired.

The watchdog stated: “The behaviour is indicative of an uncontrolled sexual deviancy which compels you to seek sexual gratification by causing distress, alarm or humiliation to others by exposing your genitals in a sexual manner.

“The convictions indicate underlying values issues fundamentally incompatible with registration as a social service worker.”

Cowan was employed as a care assistant by Kingdom Homes when he exposed himself and committed the sex acts during the early hours of June 16 and June 20, 2021.

He was reported to police after being spotted by members of the public and was sentenced to a Community Payback Order with three years’ supervision when he later appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

Cowan was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for the same period.

The SSSC said: “Given the nature of the convictions, we consider that there is a high and foreseeable risk of you repeating the behaviour, in a social care setting and generally, should you continue to be allowed to work in social services.

“If the behaviour were to be repeated this would inevitably result in potentially severe, psychological and emotional harm to service users, colleagues and/or the general public raising significant public protection concerns.”

The watchdog said Cowan had “failed to demonstrate meaningful insight, regret or apology” and did not cooperate with the SSSC’s investigation.

In conclusion, the watchdog said a removal order was the “most appropriate sanction” to maintain the “continuing trust and confidence in the social service profession and the SSSC as the regulator of the profession”.

The removal order came into effect on March 19.