Cruel carer slapped pensioner

A CRUEL carer who slapped a vulnerable resident on the legs on two occasions has been struck off.

Callum Graham was employed at Haydale Care Home, in Tollcross, when he mistreated the woman during a shift in July 2019.

He has now been banned from returning to work with a panel finding he “abused the pensioner”, “did not respect her dignity”, and “put her at risk”.

Graham was also found by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) to have told the Corbett Street resident – known as AA – to uncross her legs and later grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her from a chair to a wheelchair.

In a decision notice published by the watchdog, an eyewitness – known as ZZ – described the incident.

It read: “She was sitting in the day room with her mother when a young boy came into the room with a wheelchair and went to assist one of the other residents, AA.

“Without saying anything to AA, you lifted your hand up to about shoulder height and slapped your hand on AA’s leg. AA put her hands up to her face, made an ‘oh’ noise and shook her head from side to side. You then slapped AA’s legs again and said ‘uncross your legs’ in a brusque, aggressive manner. Both slaps were to the inside of AA’s right leg. ZZ described the slaps as deliberate. She was shocked at what she had seen and got quite a fright.”

The panel agreed ZZ’s testimony was clear and compelling and decided the allegation had been proven.

However, another claim that Graham had acted dishonestly when applying for a new job in October last year and failing to disclose the ongoing SSSC investigation was thrown out.

The decision notice of his removal from the care register, published this week, added: “It is of the view that such an order is necessary and justified in the public interest. A member of the public, if fully informed of the facts, would be concerned if you were allowed to continue to work as a care worker. When ZZ saw you slapping AA and manhandling her into a wheelchair, she was very upset. She was worried that you had treated her own mother in the same way.”

A spokesman for Haydale Care Home said: “We welcome the decision of the Scottish Social Services Council to ban this individual from ever again working in an elderly care setting. We have a zero-tolerance policy to any type of abuse and as soon as this incident was brought to our attention the staff member was immediately suspended from duty.”