Borders support worker who hit pensioner at care home is struck off carers’ register

A Borders care home worker has been struck off after hitting an elderly resident at a residential home near Jedburgh.
Knowesouth Care Centre between Jedburgh and Hawick.Knowesouth Care Centre between Jedburgh and Hawick.
Knowesouth Care Centre between Jedburgh and Hawick.

Janet Hyland hit the man to his stomach and bottom before telling her colleague words to the effect of ‘I slapped his arse as he deserved it’, a hearing was told.

Mrs Hyland was employed as a carer by West Midlands-based firm St Philips Care at Knowesouth Care Centre, near Lanton, at the time her fitness to practise was called into question after those incidents in August 2018.

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The Scottish Social Services Council has ruled that the Jedburgh carer’s actions put a vulnerable resident at risk of both physical and emotional harm.

In its decision notice, the council told her: “People who work in social services are expected to ensure the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable users of services and must not act in way which would harm or put users of services at risk of harm. Your actions amount to physical abuse and placed a vulnerable resident at risk of both physical and emotional harm.”

It added that the fact she then boasted of her actions to a colleague “indicate a disregard for the safety and dignity of that resident and fall short of the standards expected of social services worker”.

Her fitness to practise was also found impaired because, in August 2018 too, she had failed to report or record an incident involving the same elderly resident butting her, raising concerns about other staff being put at risk of harm.

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The decision notice added: “Failing to record or report a significant incident that happened during the course of providing care amounts to a failure to communicate effectively and places colleagues and service users at risk of harm should there be a reoccurrence of such an incident and staff were unaware of this risk.”

The council also found that Mrs Hyland failed to apologise or offer an explanation for her behaviour.

Its report added: “The resident concerned had limited communication abilities, and this therefore may be seen as an abuse of the position you were in.

“Behaviour of this nature is considered to be very serious.

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“Whilst this has been an isolated incident, you have demonstrated limited insight and understanding into the seriousness of the behaviour.

“You have not offered an apology or explanation as to why you behaved in this way. While you admitted your failure to record the headbutting incident, you have not demonstrated any insight into this and did not consider it to be a significant incident.”

Mrs Hyland was commended for her past good working record and for co-operating with the investigation, however.

She has been struck off the carer’s register.

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