Carer struck off over actions that led to resident eating soap

A care home worker – whose actions led to a resident eating soap – has been struck off for abusive behaviour.

Jane Wallace was reprimanded by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) for a number of incidents that occurred while she worked at Methven House in Kirkcaldy, Fife.

Wallace reportedly told a new member of staff to unplug a resident’s alarm mat because she was “not f***ing listening to that all night”.

The woman later got out of bed without staff being alerted and manged to eat soap, causing her to have an allergic reaction.

In an attempt to conceal her wrongdoing, Wallace told her colleague to tell other members of staff that the resident had managed to walk around the floor mat without setting it off.

Wallace also shouted and swore at another resident.

In response to the man displaying challenging behaviour towards her, she got close to his face and said words along the lines of: “What are you going to do about it?”

After he punched and headbutted her, she hit the back of his head with her hand, causing him to lose his balance and stumble.

Wallace again asked her new colleague to cover-up the incident and failed to report it to the nurse in charge.

The incidents occurred in December 2020.

In a written ruling published last month, the SSSC found the care assistant’s fitness to practise impaired.

The watchdog stated: “You told a new member of staff to turn off a resident’s floor call mat because you didn’t want to hear it going off all night.

“As instructed, the new member of staff turned the mat off, resulting in the resident in question managing to access and eat soap without members of staff being alerted that she had got out of bed.

“As a result of your actions, the resident suffered physical harm in the form of an allergic reaction and would also likely have suffered distress.

“Your actions also could have had implications for your colleague, who was very new to the job, in the event, she was faced with disciplinary action for something you told her to do.”

Wallace’s behaviour was branded “dishonest” and “fundamentally incompatible” with professional registration.

The SSSC also rapped Wallace for her behaviour with the other resident.

The watchdog said: “Your actions had the potential to cause the resident physical harm and appear to have caused actual emotional harm.

“You have also attempted to conceal your wrongdoing by telling your junior colleague that you should keep the incident between yourselves and failed to report the incident to the nurse in charge, which is dishonest.

“Your behaviour demonstrates a complete lack of respect towards the resident and is abusive in nature.

“Such behaviour falls far short of the standards expected of social service workers and calls into question your suitability to work as part of a caring and responsible profession.”

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 last month.