A Dunfermline social care worker has been sanctioned by a watchdog for plagiarising the work of colleagues while trying to get a qualification.
Amy Sansone took work produced by two fellow employees and tried to pass it off as her own while employed as a support worker in the city by the charity Cornerstone Community Care.
An investigation by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) has now found her fitness to practise is impaired.
It has placed a warning on her registration for two years.
Sansone was undertaking an SVQ (Scottish Vocational Qualification) in social services and healthcare while employed at the firm in Dunfermline.
Support worker requested access to colleagues’ work
The SSSC found evidence Sansone had submitted work as her own, when it had actually been plagiarised from two colleagues, on four occasions between March 8 and 13 2024.
The work had come from previous SVQ submissions of her colleagues.
The SSSC report said: “You approached your colleagues and requested access to their SVQ work.
“Your actions were deliberate.
“You were expected to complete relevant SVQ learning and coursework to demonstrate your knowledge.
“By plagiarising your colleagues’ work, you failed to undertake this learning.”
The SSSC also found Sansone had “repeatedly” denied the plagiarism incidents and that this raised questions about her “underlying values and integrity”.
The Dundee-headquartered watchdog said she had “failed to show remorse or insight” into her behaviour.
The SSSC added: “Your behaviour has not been remedied and without genuine insight into the seriousness of your actions, the SSSC is concerned that your behaviour may be repeated.
“If repeated, your behaviour may place people who use the services at risk of harm.”
Charity carried out ‘robust checks’ into Dunfermline worker’s behaviour
Cornerstone has confirmed Sansone is no longer an employee.
Lesley de Jager, Cornerstone’s director of people and culture, said: “The qualifications, skills and values held by our colleagues are of the utmost importance to Cornerstone and allow us to provide the highest standard of care to the people we support.
“We are confident that our organisational policies, and the robust checks carried out by our SVQ assessors, flagged concerns appropriately and timeously, resulting in a thorough internal investigation being carried out and appropriate internal procedures followed.
“The SSSC were kept informed throughout and upon conclusion of our own investigation, we reported the findings and outcomes to them.”
Earlier this month, another Dunfermline care worker was struck off for making a colleague feel “bullied and intimidated”.
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