Care worker filed fake time sheets and took thousands from vulnerable people

A care manager in Aberdeen fraudulently claimed hundreds of extra hours and withdrew thousands of pounds from the bank accounts of supported individuals.

Emma O’Dwyer was employed as a deputy manager when the incidents occurred in 2022.

Following an investigation carried out by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), it was found that O’Dwyer submitted time sheets stating she had worked more than 520 hours as a support worker, when in fact she had not.

The watchdog found that she also withdrew £2,980 from the bank accounts of five supported individuals for a proposed holiday, despite no costings having been made.

O’Dwyer not only failed to maintain any records showing how the money was spent, but she also paid £1,500 of the money into her own personal bank account.

The SSSC described O’Dwyer’s conduct as “dishonest”.

Their report found that she had “obtained significant amounts of money from supported people, and then failed to store that money safely, or record how the money was spent”.

It added that significant sums of money has gone unaccounted for, amounting t an abuse of power and trust.

“You were employed in a managerial role within the service and would have been expected to role-model good practice and integrity,” the watchdog told O’Dwyer.

“You were given a significant level of trust and responsibility over the finances of the supported people. The behaviour fell far short of the standards expected of a senior social care manager and brought the profession into disrepute.”

O’Dwyer was struck from the care register and banned from working in the sector.