Carer struck off for pushing resident on bed and throwing meals in bin

An abusive care home worker told a resident who said he would report her to his mother: “Good luck, mate, because your mum is dead.”

Pandora Bateman made the comment – or words to that effect – after she pushed the man forcefully across his bed, causing his legs to strike against the bedrail.

During the same incident, Bateman also made comments along the lines of “shut your face”, “you do my f*****g head in” and “I f*****g hate you”.

On the same day, she also shouted at another resident.

On more than one occasion, the first resident also went without food after he refused to eat.

Instead of putting the food to one side to try again in ten minutes, or allowing another member of staff to help, Bateman threw the man’s meals in the bin.

Bateman has now been struck off the care register after the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) found her fitness to practise impaired.

The incidents happened between July and September 2019 while she was working at The Grange in Balbeggie, Perth and Kinross.

In a written ruling, the SSSC said: “You have been verbally abusive towards a resident in your care by shouting at them and using inappropriate language.

“You have also been physically abusive towards the same person by forcefully pushing their legs across their bed and holding their arm down.

“Your actions could have caused [the resident] both emotional and physical harm.

“As a result of your actions, [the resident] was reluctant to interact positively with care staff, which could have had a detrimental effect on his health and wellbeing.”

The watchdog said the resident’s care plan was clear that he could sometimes display “challenging behaviour”.

The SSSC added: “Your actions demonstrate impatience towards [the resident] rather than a willingness to assist or offer reassurance to [the resident] when he is displaying challenging behaviour, such as refusing a meal.

“Such behaviour could have caused [the resident] to suffer emotional harm and similarly could have had a detrimental impact on his physical wellbeing.

“You have also shouted at a second resident. As a result of your actions, [that resident] could have suffered emotional harm.”

It was reported to the SSSC that the first resident’s behaviour “deteriorated” following the incident and it “took some time for him to get back to his normal self”.

The watchdog branded Bateman’s behaviour as “aggressive and abusive in nature”, highlighting an inability to “maintain self-control when faced with challenging situations”.

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 October 22.