City nursery nurse made child fall by ‘forcefully’ moving arm
A child was left in “distress” after being made to fall by an Edinburgh nursery nurse.
Gillian Easton “forcefully” moved a child’s arm at an unnamed nursery in the city on October 5 last year. She also told the child to “stop” and “don’t take the pictures from the board”, according to a report by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
The watchdog said Easton’s conduct was “serious”, with the document continuing: “You are an experienced registered social service worker, who has been registered with the SSSC since November 2021 and you should be well aware of the standards of conduct expected of you.
“Service users are entitled to feel safe and confident that social care workers can regulate and remain in control of their behaviour and not abuse or harm service users in their care.”
It adds: “Your actions had the potential to negatively impact the reputation of the social service profession. Your behaviour fell below the standards expected of a registered social service worker.
“Your behaviour has shown a disregard for the standards set out in the SSSC Codes of Practice. Your actions breached the trust and confidence placed in you by your employer, and the SSSC as your regulator.”
The SSSC accepted that the conduct had been an “isolated incident” and that she had cooperated in a “meaningful way” with the investigation. It opted not to strike her off the register, but to instead issue her with a 12-month warning.
Easton will have to undergo training on child protection, communication with children and positive behaviour management.