Nursery team leader put puppy pad on floor and ordered child to urinate on it

A nursery team leader who put a puppy pad on the floor and told a child to urinate has been given a warning.

Angela Sawers instructed a child to urinate on a puppy pad on more than one occasion between August and October 2022.

She also refused to allow a colleague to change the child’s nappy and said that she “needed to learn she can’t get her own way”.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) found Sawers also changed the child’s nappy despite them “becoming upset” and indicating they did not want her to be the one to change them.

At the time, Sawers was employed as an Early Years Team Leader by South Lanarkshire Council.

She was further found to have, on at least two occasions in or around March 2023, grabbed another child by the arm and dragged them to the toilet, insisting they needed to go.

Sawers was also accused of shouting in the face of another child to stop carrying round a piece of felt, causing “distress”.

In a report, the SSSC said: “Your behaviour demonstrates a lack of empathy and consideration for the children’s wishes/needs…you have failed to communicate in an appropriate and open way.

“Your behaviour amounts to a failure to respond appropriately to children’s needs and communication. Your actions have had a negative impact on the children concerned and fall below the standards expected of a social services worker.

“This type of behaviour could raise questions with regard to your judgement and character.”

It added: “Your behaviour is serious as it involves repeated failures to treat children with dignity, respect and compassion.

“It is assessed that there continues to be a risk of repetition, as, despite your long career in social services, the behaviour concerned forms a pattern of behaviour.”

The SSSC placed a warning on her registration for children and young people’s workers for a period of 36 months from October 17.

The watchdog found that Sawers’ fitness to practise is impaired due to the misconduct.