Abusive care worker struckoff
An East Kilbride care worker has been sacked from a Lindsayfield nursing home for physically abusing vulnerable residents.
Roselie Whitecross was this week struck off by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) following an investigation into her misconduct at Lindsayfield Lodge care home.
The regulatory body rapped Whitecross after she placed three elderly residents at risk of harm during her course of employment as a care assistant at the home.
On November 3 the former Claremont High pupil, who is originally from the Philippines, struck out at a resident stating “f**k sake” before restraining the resident by holding her wrists together and placing
her hands around the resident’s wrists. Whitecross repeated the foul-mouthed slur at another resident.
The following day she forcibly pushed a third resident into her shower chair and restrained her by her wrists.
When the resident reached for Whitecross’ arm, she shouted: “Are you kidding me? Don’t f ***** g touch me! You’ve got s**t all over your hands”.
In response to the resident asking what s**t meant, Whitecross then stated to her: “The stuff all over the walls and in the carpet, look at the state of the place, look what you’ve done!
Whitecross then complained to a colleague: “I’ve got s**t all over my new shoes, she knows what she’s doing”.
The SSSC stated in their report that Whitecross’ behaviour demonstrated a‘pattern of abuse towards vulnerable residents’.
It read: ‘Service users have the right to expect that they will be treated with dignity and respect and protected from harm by social service workers in whom they and the public have placed their trust and confidence.
‘The behaviour of restraining two residents, on separate occasions, by holding their wrists, and forcibly pushing one of those residents, amounts to physical abuse and demonstrates a complete misuse of your power and position.
‘Similarly, the behaviour in shouting and swearing at residents demonstrates a complete disregard for the dignity and well-being of the individuals concerned, amounting to a failure in your duty of care and a breach of the trust and confidence placed in you.
‘Such behaviour was likely to cause injury, distress and fear to those at whom it was aimed, thereby placing residents at risk of harm.
‘In addition, such behaviour occurred in Lindsayfield Lodge, where residents should, and were entitled to, feel safe and cared for at all times.
‘Your fitness to practise is currently impaired because the behaviour you have exhibited is serious and is such that it is not easily remediable.
‘The behaviour demonstrates a pattern of abusive behaviour towards vulnerable residents, and violates fundamental values of the profession.
‘The behaviour shows a loss of self control and a poor attitude to dealing with vulnerable, challenging service users.
‘The Council have deemed there is a high risk that the behaviour will be repeated as you have not undertaken any remediation and you have offered no insight into your behaviour. Any repetition of the behaviour would put people who use services at risk of harm.’
The SSCS added that Whitecross failed to cooperate with the SSSC investigation and her behaviour amounted to an abuse of trust.
A removal order was made against Whitecross, who is understood to have previously worked as a bouncer, removing her from the SSSC Register due to concerns over her behaviour being repeated.