Childcare worker given warnings
A residential childcare worker has been reprimanded by the industry watchdog for “intimidating and threatening” behaviour towards a young person under his supervision.
Kevin Gray was handed a two-year warning and conditions were imposed on his registration by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) following a number of incidents which unfolded over the course of one day.
It has not been disclosed where the residential home is located, but according to SSSC papers, Gray’s town of employment is Prestwick.
It was found that, on or around May 28, 2019, while employed as a residential childcare worker, Gray pushed the child, known only as AA “on more than one occasion” and pursued them as they were“backing away from him.”
Gray was also found to have “failed to stop a car ”he was driving when the child, a passenger, unbuckled their seatbelt, opened the passenger door and“stood up on the door ledge, leaned out of the car and waved his hand.”
The SSSC declared that Gray’s fitness to practice was “impaired because of misconduct” and acted in a “confrontational manner ”and that he “failed to de-escalate” a situation by responding with force.
With regards to the incident inside the vehicle, the SSSC said in their judgment :“Continuing to drive a car after AA had opened the passenger door, was standing on the door ledge, leaning out and waving his hand was unsafe and could have resulted in AA falling out of the car and sustaining a serious injury. You exercised poor judgement in continuing to drive the car instead of stopping immediately.”
The SSSC said Gray’s behaviour was “serious ”as it involved the use of physical force towards a child.
It was also described a s “intimidating and threatening” and behaviour that placed AA “at risk of physical and emotional harm.”
It was, however, revealed during the investigation that Gray’s behaviour came to the fore shortly after he “intervened to stop the physical attack of another young person” by AA.
And it was also acknowledged that Gray “fully cooperated” with the SSSC’s investigation. Gray must provide the SSSC with proof he has undertaken refresher training in relation to therapeutic crisis intervention (TCI) and provide a “reflective account” to the SSSC covering various aspects of his behaviour at the time.