AN AYRSHIRE care worker has been warned over her conduct after her fitness to practise was found to be impaired.

A two-year warning has been placed on Elizabeth Gorman's registration as a support worker in a care home service for adults following a decision by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

A recently-published report from the SSSC stated that while she was employed as a care and support worker in Kilwinning by Carewatch, between March 2016 and April 2017, Ms Gorman accepted a private role to purchase a service user's shopping and receive funds for that service from the person's family.

The report said that this was in "direct competition with your employer and against your employer’s policy on money and property to prevent financial abuse".

Carewatch provides home care services throughout the UK with only two branches in Scotland - one of which is registered at Elliot House in Kilwinning Road, Irvine.

The SSSC report also said that on two occasions - in August 2020 and June 2022 - as part of her application to be registered as a support worker, Ms Gorman failed to declare to the industry regulator that she had resigned from her previous employment with Carewatch prior to the conclusion of a disciplinary investigation.

The report found that her "fitness to practise is impaired because of your misconduct".

It said: "By entering a private arrangement in direct competition with your employer, you failed to follow your employer’s procedures.

"You exposed a supported person and their family to an unnecessary risk of financial harm.

"You showed a complete disregard for the systems that are in place to prevent financial abuse.

"You failed on two occasions to declare that you had resigned from an employment prior to the conclusion of a disciplinary investigation to your regulator, the SSSC.

"Your obligation to advise your regulator of such matters is to ensure that an appropriate risk assessment is carried out to ensure that you are fit to practise.

"There is a pattern of disregarding policies and procedures put in place to ensure that the appropriate safeguards exist to protect vulnerable supported people.

"This behaviour brings into question your suitability to work in social services."

Factors of concern included Ms Gorman's "failure to show insight and understanding as to the severity of your behaviour".

However, it was noted that she did engage with the SSSC's investigation and that her "behaviour appears to have taken place due to poor judgment and not malicious intent".

Conditions were placed on Ms Gorman's registration, along with the 24-month warning, requiring her to undertake training and learning and engage in formal supervision with her employer.