Care worker handed warning after giving strawberry yoghurt to child she knew had allergy

A care worker has been handed a warning after giving strawberry yoghurt to a child that she knew had an allergy to strawberries.

Stacey Scott, a children’s and young people’s worker, has had a warning placed on her care registration for 12 months.

On the day of the incident, Scott was tasked with checking that individual children received the correct food.

She said workers ordinarily consulted a board with dietary notes for the children. On this particular day, however, Scott claimed that the notes had fallen down.

She continued to feed the children, including giving a child with a known strawberry allergy a strawberry yoghurt.

A watchdog said the child “suffered a mild allergic reaction”.

“Social service workers are expected to meet relevant standards of practice and work in a lawful, safe and effective way,” the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) decision said.

“They are not expected to place themselves or other people at the risk of harm.”

The care council acknowledged that the notes had fallen off the board, but it said Scott should have checked the individual plans for each child or asked for assistance if she was unsure.

It determined that Scott’s fitness to practice is “impaired” because of her mistake.

“This was an isolated incident, and there have been no further reports of misconduct,” the SSSC said.

“However, the public would be concerned if action was not taken by the regulatory body in a case where a child had an allergic reaction to food given by a worker.”