Dundee social worker who told children their family 'didn't care about them' given warning

A social worker has been handed a warning after telling two young people that their family “don’t care” about them and that they will “always be in care”.

Jacqui Turnbull, a children’s and young people’s worker, has had a warning placed on her care registration for three years.

While employed as a social care officer by Dundee City Council, Turnbull shouted and swore in the presence of vulnerable young people in her care.

During the incident, she told two children, “your family don’t care about you” and “you’ll always be in care”.

A watchdog has said Turnbull’s behaviour amounted to “verbal abuse” of the two children, and it placed them at “serious risk of emotional harm”.

“Your behaviour in the presence of, and towards, the young people in your care raises concerns about your ability to work in a trauma-informed way and therefore your suitability to work in social services,” the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) told Turnbull.

“You were a very experienced worker, having been employed since 2018, and you would have been well aware of the standards expected of you.”

The ombudsman said Turnbull had not shown “any insight” into her behaviour, and she told the SSSC that she was only telling the young people the truth.

The watchdog recognised that the incident occurred on a day when some of the young people in the care home appeared to have been “particularly heightened”, but it said that did not excuse Turnbull’s behaviour.

The SSSC determined that Turnbull’s fitness to practice is “impaired” and placed a warning on her registration for 36 months.

In addition to the warning, Turnbull must undertake professional training about child protection and trauma-informed practice.