Senior carer falsely recorded overnight check-ins at Glasgow care home and failed to notice resident had left

A senior carer falsely recorded check-ins at a care home in Glasgow, resulting in one resident leaving under his watch.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) conducted an investigation into Ronald Dimmano, who worked at Chester Park Care Home operated by Oakminster Healthcare.

According to a newly released report, Dimaano, on Boxing Day 2022, failed to properly check-in on patient AA who was under close observation as he was known to wander.

Because Dimaano failed to check-in between 2am and 7am, he did not realise that AA had left the building at around 1am.

AA remained outside until 7am, however, Dimaano falsely tick off his Close Observation Record at 2am, 3am, 4am, 5am, 6am, 7am and 8am.

He also checked off other necessary documents including the Client Night Checks Record Book, Personal Hygiene Record and Behavioural Chart knowing these had not been properly completed.

The SSSC stated: “You failed to carry out required hourly observations for AA, a vulnerable resident who was known to wander and was subject to close observations to manage that risk.

“As a result, AA’s absence from the building was not identified for several hours. You then falsely completed care and observation records, including records stating that AA was safe and well, and acted dishonestly by doing so.

“Social service workers are required to be truthful, open, honest and trustworthy and communicate in an appropriate, open, accurate and straightforward way.”

Although the SSSC found Dimaano had shown some regret, they saw no evidence of any remediation.

The SSSC also had concerns that a similar incident had been recorded by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, in which Dimaano had failed to protect vulnerable people from risk and had engaged in inaccurate record-keeping.

It was also noted that Dimaano was a “senior carer” and that his conduct was a “serious breach of trust”.

Dimaano was ultimately struck off from the SSSC register.

A spokesperson for Chester Park Care Home said: “Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of those in our care is our highest priority, and we take any failure to meet that standard very seriously.

“We respect the SSSC decision and will continue to work with them to maintain the highest level of care in our sector.”