Alcohol rehab worker threatened resident
AN alcohol rehab worker turned up to work smelling of booze and threatened a vulnerable client.
Paul Connelly, who worked at Turning Point Scotland’s unit at Garscube House, quit his job as a practitioner in the unit after a number of incidents in and out of work.
He had worked at the centre on Garscube Road, which helps people who have alcohol addiction, since October 2008, but resigned on June 4, 2015.
On June 30, 2014, he turned up to work “smelling of alcohol”, according to a social work report.
Eight months later he threatened one of the residents, telling them: “Talk to me like that again and I’ll bounce you about.”
Finally, he didn’t inform the social services council that he had been charged with a number of offences, including assaulting a woman.
In 2015, he was convicted of assaulting a woman by hitting her on the head, grabbing her hair and kicking her, as well as obstructing police officers. Mr Connelly received a Community Payback Order with 18 months supervision, and was ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work within six months at Dumbarton Sheriff Court.
He was also convicted of failing to comply with bail conditions by contacting a woman he had been told not to, and was given a non-harassment order for three years.
Social services council bosses have now decided to remove him from the register of social service workers fol- lowing a hearing last month. They decided that the alcohol rehabilitation worker’s behaviour had been “wholly inappropriate” and put the resident who he threatened “at risk of emotional harm.”
The panel said: “Your communication with [the] resident was wholly inappropriate.
“The Panel accepts that on occasion it may be necessary to take residents to task about their own behaviour, however, it is not acceptable for registered workers to do so by using i nappropriate and threatening language.”
With regards to turning up to work smelling of alcohol, Mr Connelly was told: “You attended your workplace whilst smelling of alcohol.
“You had worked at Garscube House for a number of years.
“You were therefore well acquainted with the services provided there and were knowledgeable about the vulnerabilities of residents with alcohol addiction.
“Your actions may have placed residents at risk of harm as they were susceptible to alcohol abuse.”
With regards to his convictions, and for breaking bail by contacting a woman, they said: “You have been convicted of assault and of assault to injury. Both of these offences involved different people.
“You have also been convicted of resisting, obstructing or hindering the police in the execution of their duties.
“That you have twice been convicted of assault indicates a propensity towards a loss of control and towards acts of violence that are wholly incompatible with the role of a registered worker.”