Aberdeen social care worker struck off after embezzling nearly £3,000 from dementia patient

A social care worker from Aberdeen has been banned from the profession after embezzling thousands of pounds from a vulnerable adult with dementia who was in her care.

An investigation by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) found Michelle Felber abused her position as a private carer and placed a vulnerable individual at risk of financial and emotional harm after stealing £2,947 from her patient’s debit card.

Felber’s actions were found to be a “serious departure of standards” after she was convicted at Greenock Sheriff Court of theft between December 6, 2023 and December 19, 2023.

The SSSC report outlined: “You have been convicted of stealing a bank card from a supported person and using that card to steal thousands of pounds from him.

“Such behaviour is an abuse of the trust placed in you by vulnerable people and their families. It is behaviour that was linked directly to your employment in a care role.

“It is behaviour that has caused financial harm to a vulnerable person and has likely caused them and their family emotional or psychological distress.

“The behaviour is serious and amounts to a serious breach of trust. Supported people need to be able to place their trust in social care workers.

“Your actions have potentially broken the trust that AA and their family has placed in care staff. They may find it difficult to trust any care staff in the future.

“Any care staff supporting AA will likely have to work harder to gain their trust. As the behaviour occurred over a period of around two of weeks and because it raises questions about your underlying values, there is a real concern that the behaviour could be repeated.

“If the behaviour is repeated it could cause serious financial harm, as well as emotional or psychological distress to vulnerable people and their family. It is in the public interest that the SSSC takes steps to address the risk that you present as there is a real need to protect the public from such behaviour happening again.”