A CARER who stamped on a woman’s head in a vicious assault has been allowed to continue working with the elderly.

Rebecca Dunn, from Mauchline, was let off with a warning by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) after being convicted of assault at Ayr Sheriff Court last year.

The court heard Dunn, 21, had assaulted a woman in Portland Street in Troon on May 29, 2018 and had seized her by the hair, dragged her to the ground, sat on her and repeatedly punched and kicked her on the head.

Following the conviction Dunn, who was a carer at Graceland Nursing Home in Kilmarnock at the time, avoided a jail term but was made subject to an electronic tag.

Last week Dunn, who was sacked as a result of the shocking assault, appeared before the SSSC and was told her fitness to practice was impaired because “social service workers are expected to not behave in a way, in or outside the workplace that would call into question their suitability to be registered in the social care profession.”

The panel also said Dunn’s behaviour “breached fundamental tenets and values of the caring profession, in that social service workers are expected to not place themselves or others at unnecessary risk of harm.”

The panel decided Dunn’s actions were “serious in that they demonstrated a violent loss of self-control and a disregard for the law” telling her “You assaulted a member of the public and did cause them physical harm to their injury...your behaviour breaches the trust and confidence placed in you by the public.”

However the panel conceded that Dunn’s behaviour was “an isolated incident of heightened behaviour, occurring as a result of a particular set of circumstances.”

The panel said because Dunn was sacked from her position following her conviction, she had not been able to “display recent good practise.”

The added that Dunn had shown remorse and had “engaged with the SSSC investigation process. “

They added: “You have provided comments which demonstrate your insight, reflection and remorse into your behaviour. You have provided character references that speak to your usual good character.”

The panel placed a 12 month warning on Dunn’s registration.