Worker who stole from school club faces panel

A CHILD care worker who embezzled £1,370 from the kids club where she worked is set to face a hearing over her conduct.

Fiona Soutar, 35, former assistant manager at Carlogie Fun Club, will appear before a Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) panel in Dundee today and tomorrow after being convicted of embezzlement.

At Forfar Sheriff Court in March, she admitted stealing £1,370 from Carlogie Fun Club, based at Carlogie Primary School in Carnoustie,

Soutar was sentenced to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and a compensation order was made for the money.

Defence agent Ian Myles said it had been a “distressing and difficult situation”.

He added: “She has had anxiety over this for some time.”

Sentencing Soutar, Sheriff Pino Di Emidio said: “I have read the report and noted the circumstances of this very unfortunate matter.

“It is plain to me that aside from anything I do, you have, to an extent, already been punished by this.”

The offence was committed between October 2015 and March last year, while Soutar was working at the after-school club as an assistant manager. However, she is no longer employed by the club.

The SSSC is set to argue that Soutar’s fitness to practise is impaired as a result of her conviction.

The day care practitioner could be subject to a number of sanctions ranging from warnings on her registration to being struck off the register altogether.

The Carlogie Fun Club operates at Carlogie Primary in Caesar Avenue but is run independently by a charitable committee.

All staff are Disclosure Scotland/ PVG checked and SSSC registered.

Ms Soutar has been approached for comment but could not be reached by the Tele.

Carlogie Fun Club had not responded at the time of going to press.

The hearing will be held at Compass House at Riverside Drive.

SSSC hearings aim to assess whether a worker’s fitness to practise is still impaired at the time of the hearing.