Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Sanctioned support worker axed by council
North Lanarkshire Council have confirmed a home support worker is no longer working for the local authority after he was sanctioned by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
Iain Adamson was given a formal warning by the SSSC following an incident in August last year when he accepted prescription medication from a service user, known as AA, while he was off-duty.
Mr Adamson contacted a colleague to obtain the key safe number for the service user’s home, despite not being on shift that day. He then attended AA’S home.
Mr Adamson chose to contact his colleague, rather than seek permission from his manager or make them aware of his intentions to visit AA while off duty.
The SSSC said Adamson’s decision to accept the prescription medication “calls into question his professional judgement and breaches the trust and confidence placed in Mr Adamson”.
A council spokesman said: “Mr Adamson no longer works for North Lanarkshire Council.”
The SSSC revealed Mr Adamson had been employed in the sector since 2009 and has an otherwise unblemished record.
The reports add there is no pattern of concerning behaviour, the behaviour was an isolated incident and taking into account all of the information available, it appears unlikely that similar misconduct would be repeated by Mr Adamson.
However, confirming a warning which will stay on his registration for 12 months, the SSSC told Mr Adamson: “The behaviour under consideration falls beneath the standard expected of a registered social service worker and breaches the trust and confidence placed in you.
“If the behaviour was to be repeated this would potentially place vulnerable service users at risk of physical and emotional harm.
“The behaviour occurred while you were off duty and within AA’S home, an environment that AA should feel safe and cared for, and you did not consider the potential impact of your actions on AA when you accepted prescription medication from a service user for your own personal use.”