An Ayrshire residential child care worker has been sanctioned by the industry regulator for exposing a young person to the risk of emotional harm.
Charles Thom failed to adhere to his employer’s instruction regarding one-to-one supervision of a young person.
On or around January 31, 2023, Thom was reported to have failed in his care responsibilities while working as a residential child care worker at a Cumnock unit.
The Scottish Social Service Council (SSSC), the sector watchdog, has severely withheld details of the case’s facts and put a hold on Thom’s registration.
The regulator said Thom’s fitness to practise was ‘impaired,’ and that by his actions he exposed a young person, known only as ‘AA,’ to the risk of emotional harm.
An extract from the SSSC report said: “Those who use services, their families and the public in general rightly expect that social service workers will act in the best interests of those who use services and will not expose them unnecessarily to the risk of physical or emotional harm.
“A reasonable person would probably expect a regulating authority like the SSSC to take measures to avoid a repeat of the behaviour, even though your acts were not intended to cause harm. This is required to maintain appropriate care standards, guarantee the security and well-being of service users, and make sure you don’t put yourself or others in danger in the future.
Despite being reported to have “co-operated fully” with the SSSC investigation, Thom disregarded his employer’s directive to refrain from providing 1:1 care to the young person and to seize the chance to “reinforce professional boundaries.”
The SSSC went on to say, “Your actions reflect poorly upon you, your employer, and the wider social services profession and fall short of the standards expected of Residential Child Care Workers.”
