A Dundee support worker has been warned after threatening to “slap” a service user’s backside and asking if they were sending “dirty photographs”.
A watchdog found a series of allegations against Alister Oortlepp to be proven.
He was working for an unnamed care service in Dundee at the time.
Oortlepp has been given a 30-month warning by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and has had conditions imposed on his registration with the regulator.
The incidents took place between January and May 2022.
Service user told to ‘behave’ or get ‘slap’
A report on the SSSC’s findings said Oortlepp asked user AA: “Do you have a girlfriend? Do you send each other dirty photographs?” or words to that effect.
He also said, when looking through user AA’s phone, that they will “get a name for themselves” or words to that effect when seen talking to men on a dating app.
User AA was also told that if they did not “behave” they would get a “slap” on their backside, according to the SSSC.
Oortlepp was also found to have said to user AA: “If you have lost weight, you must have been the size of a baby elephant before”, or words to that effect.
Carer smoked and slept in service user’s flat
The watchdog also found that Oortlepp smoked in user AA’s flat and slept on their sofa.
He also told user AA: “I’m f****** tired of this place” and “I hate working here”, or words to that effect.
When talking about user AA to a colleague, he said: “We need to stop this nicey nice s***, it doesn’t work with her, she needs f****** told”, or words to that effect.
And in comments the SSSC claimed had racial undertones, Oortlepp – when speaking to two colleagues about another worker who had her shifts mixed up – said: “She’s probably in the (information redacted) working”, and “maybe she is in the corner shop working”, or words to that effect.
He also said service user BB “was really stunning, she had so much potential, what a waste” when looking at their old photos on Facebook.
Dundee carer gets 30-month warning
The SSSC report said Oortlepp had “breached professional boundaries by communicating inappropriately” with colleagues and vulnerable people.
It added: “Behaviour of this nature falls below the standards expected of a registered social service worker and raises concerns over your overall integrity and values.
“Your actions placed your colleagues and the people you care for at risk of emotional harm.”
However the SSSC said Oortlepp had co-operated with the investigation and had a previously unblemished record in social care.
Conditions attached to his registration as a carer include:
- Informing his employer knows of his conditions
- Carrying out learning and training in a number of different areas
- Submitting a reflective account to the SSSC after completing the learning and training.
The Courier has approached Oortlepp for comment.
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