Dishonest care assistant given a ticking off Senior falsified personal hygiene records

A senior care assistant falsified personal hygiene records to appear as though she had washed two patients- when she didn’t.

Christine Hand also signed a colleague’s initials to signify that he’d helped in the showering of the two patients, knowing that it wasn’t the case.

Hand also kept the lie going by telling two colleagues the patients were cleaned by her and another, all the while knowing it wasn’t true.

But her dishonesty caught up with her when she was sanctioned by the industry regulator, the Scottish Social Services Council ( SSSC), during a Fitness to Practise hearing in Dundee.

Hand was given a warning, to be kept in her file for a period of 12 months, after the offences at the care home in Auchinleck, owned Countrywide Care

Homes Limited.

In their written judgement the SSSC said: “We decided that there is evidence that on or around November 5 2018, whilst employed as a Senior Care Assistant by Countrywide Care Homes Limited, and in the course of that employment you did: falsify personal hygiene care records of residents AA, and BB by ticking that you had showered them when you had not, by writing your colleague ZZ’s initials to signify that he had participated in showering AA and BB when this was not the case and tell your colleagues that you had showered ( the) residents- when you had not.”

The industry regulator last week labelled Hand’s actions as “dishonest.”

Their report continues: “By falsifying documents you ( Hand) have not been accountable for the quality of your work as you have not maintained accurate records.

“It also demonstrates dishonesty and could impact on public trust and confidence in social services.

“Failing to accurately complete personal hygiene sheets could result in a resident not receiving the care they required and put the resident at risk of harm.”

The SSSC also claimed Hand’s behaviour brought her “suitability” to work in social services “into question.”

The SSSC said: “It is important that social service workers trust colleagues to be open and honest and a failure to do so could result in a breakdown of working relationships. This could have an impact on the care given to service users.”

The hearing was told that Hand had a previous “good work history” in the care profession for a period of four years, she “fully engaged” with the SSSC investigation, she demonstrated “some insight” into her actions and that it was an “isolated incident.”