A MAYBOLE support worker has received a warning after locking someone he was caring for in a car and using their cash to buy a can of Slimfast.

James Eaglesham received a warning on his registration for two years for the misconduct while working as a support worker for Quarriers.

Eaglesham used the service user’s funds to purchase a tin of Slim Fast then locked the service user in a car on their own on or around August 24 last year.

After this was raised by a colleague with Eaglesham on September 25 2019 he then denied doing so.

The Scottish Social Services Council [SSSC] stated Eaglesham acted dishonestly in trying to conceal his behaviour and found his fitness to practise impaired.

The panel said: “Social service workers must be reliable and dependable. They must follow practices and procedures designed to keep themselves and others safe from abusive behaviour at work. By locking a service user in a car on their own, you failed to prioritise their welfare or wellbeing.

“Leaving the service user alone meant that you were unable to provide them with the necessary level of assistance or respond to any of their support needs.

“Your behaviour fell below the standards expected of registered workers and placed the service user at an unnecessary risk of harm.

“Registered workers must recognise and use responsibly the power and authority they have when working with people who use services and must not put service users at risk of harm.

“By using a service user’s funds to purchase an item for yourself, you prioritised your own needs ahead of those of the service user, whose needs you were required to protect and promote. Your actions caused financial harm to the service user.

“Social service workers must be open and honest with their employer and people who use services. By denying that you had intended to purchase the item when this was not true, you were not open or honest with your employer.

“Your behaviour was dishonest as you sought to mislead your employer by attempting to conceal your actions, which raises questions about your suitability to work in the social services profession.

“Regulatory intervention is required on the ground of public protection to mitigate against the risk of further instances of dishonesty and/or financial harm against vulnerable service users

“The public should have confidence in the SSSC as the regulator to take appropriate action when necessary and decisions should take into account the impact on the public’s view of the SSSC. A reasonably informed member of the public, in light of all the information taken as a whole, would consider your fitness to practise to be currently impaired.”