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Care round-up: Dundee worker hid convictions and Fife nursery warned over restrictive practice

We take a look at the latest reports involving care workers, homes, nurseries and after-school clubs across Tayside, Fife and Stirling.

Danielle Gaffar features in this week's care round-up. Image: DC Thomson
Danielle Gaffar features in this week's care round-up. Image: DC Thomson

A Dundee care worker who hid her convictions has been struck off, and a Fife nursery has been warned over its use of “inappropriate” restrictive practice.

The cases are among those featured in the latest Care Inspectorate and Scottish Social Services reports across Tayside, Fife and Stirling.

The SSSC is the watchdog for those working in the care sector.

Meanwhile, the Care Inspectorate assesses the standard of services including care homes, nurseries and after-school clubs.

The watchdog grades services on key areas including wellbeing, leadership and staffing on a six-point scale where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent.

Some of the reports featured have been published weeks after the hearings or inspections took place.

Danielle Gaffar, Dundee

Danielle Gaffar arriving for sentencing outside Dundee Sheriff Court.
Gaffar arriving for sentencing outside Dundee Sheriff Court. Image: DC Thomson

Dundee care worker Danielle Gaffar has been banned from the sector after hiding her convictions for biting a woman and spitting on a police officer from her employer and the SSSC.

Gaffar was jailed in 2019 for biting a chunk out of a former friend’s face in a “brutal” nightclub attack.

Then, in 2024, she was convicted of spitting in a police officer’s face after she had tried to drive away from a house party drunk.

The SSSC found that Gaffar had failed to disclose her 2019 conviction when applying to register as a care worker in January 2024.

Then, after getting a job as a social care worker in Dundee, she did not inform the industry watchdog that she had been convicted of assaulting a police officer six months later.

She also failed to tell her employer, whose name is redacted in the SSSC report.

Cardenden Primary School Nursery

Cardenden Primary School Nursery in Fife. Image: Google Maps

The Fife Council-run nursery has been warned it could be shut down if it does not stop the use of “inappropriate” restrictive practices on kids.

It comes after a visit by the Care Inspectorate raised several “serious” concerns.

The watchdog has now issued an improvement notice, which tells the nursery its registration could be cancelled if major changes are not put in place.

This means the nursery must make changes to the use of restrictive practice, including that staff “do not use inappropriate physical intervention” on children.

Fife Council says it has put a detailed action plan in place.

Muirton House, Blairgowrie

Heather Sandilands.
Heather Sandilands and her father Andrews Sandilands. Image: Kirsty Cambridge

A “large-scale” investigation has been launched into the Blairgowrie care home after a complaint over the care of a resident.

Perth and Kinross care chiefs are probing Muirton House Care Home, which supports elderly people and those with dementia and learning difficulties.

It follows a complaint from the family of a resident at the home, 40-year-old Heather Sandilands, who claimed she was not being given the proper care or support.

The Care Inspectorate upheld a complaint made about Muirton House, including that Heather – who has Down syndrome and type one diabetes – was given “inadequate access to meaningful social and recreational activities”.

A spokesperson for operator Larchwood Care says it is working with Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership to make improvements.

Lunan Court, Arbroath

Lunan Court Care Home.
Lunan Court Care Home. Image: Google Street View

The Arbroath care home has been told it must improve after a visit by the Care Inspectorate.

Inspectors found staff were “overwhelmed with their workload” and did not have time to “enjoy meaningful connection with people”.

The report said they were told by one person that there was a wait of between 20 minutes and an hour for assistance after pressing a buzzer.

It added that some residents needed to be prompted to drink but this did not always happen “as staff were so busy”.

The watchdog says Lunan Court must make several improvements before August 4.

My Homecare, Dundee

Concerns were raised over the “terrible” staff turnover and “significant number of medication incidents reported” at the care at home service during its latest inspection.

The Care Inspectorate report said inspectors were told the service’s staffing was “erratic” and that there appeared to be a “terrible turnover”.

Timings of support were also said to be “unreliable and inconsistent”.

The management team told inspectors they were attempting to improve.

The report also said the watchdog was “concerned to see that there had been a significant number of medication incidents reported”.

These had been identified by staff and reported to management, however, errors continued to happen.

My Homecare (Dundee) is required to make several improvements with a deadline of August 31.

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