A Fife support worker has been struck off after a vulnerable person in his care escaped naked through an open window.

Kieran Burt has been banned from working in the care sector by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) after the incident in Dunfermline.

The person, referred to by the SSSC as AA, was known to run away and so a risk assessment was put in place for them.

But on August 29, 2019 while supporting AA, Mr Burt failed to lock the window of the sleepover room they were in which resulted in AA escaping through it while naked.

The incident took place while Kieran Burt worked as a support worker at Kingdom Support and Care on the city’s James Street next to the Kingsgate Shopping Centre.

He had experience in providing care for the individual and was also involved in a previous incident where they had similarly managed to escape.

Behaviour ‘an abuse of trust’

As he was involved in the previous incident, the SSSC says he should have been more aware.

It called Mr Burt’s behaviour “serious”, “dishonest” and “an abuse of trust” and says he put them “at risk of harm”.

After the incident, Mr Burt was put under investigation by the SSSC but left for a new job as a child care practitioner at Tip Toes Nursery in Larbert before a decision was reached.

He failed to let his new employer know he was under investigation, something the SSSC says “denied the employer the opportunity to make a fully informed decision regarding your employment”.

A report published by the SSSC following Mr Burt’s hearing says he also did not let the nursery know that he had resigned or left his previous job before the outcome of the disciplinary investigation.

The SSSC report says that while it accepts that he did not intend to harm the user by leaving the window open, he breached the position of trust he was in.

The report says: “You failed to recognise the responsibility of your position as a registered social services worker to be truthful, open, honest and trustworthy by withholding information from your new employer.

Dishonesty

“You also failed to properly declare the information in an application to the SSSC.

“The dishonesty aspect of the behaviour is considered to be serious and is not easily remediable.

You have not provided comments to SSSC in relation to this behaviour and therefore we have no evidence of insight.

The SSSC

“You have not provided comments to SSSC in relation to this behaviour and therefore we have no evidence of insight.

“The SSSC cannot be assured that the behaviour would not be repeated.”

Mr Burt, who no longer works at Tip Toes Nursery, has been removed from the SSSC register, meaning he is no longer able to work as a carer.

Worker ‘immediately suspended’

Kingdom Housing, which runs the Fife facility, said the incident was treated “very seriously”.

A spokesperson said: “The events surrounding this person came to light the day of the incident. The person was immediately suspended pending investigation.

“Disciplinary action was taken as per our policies and procedures, however, the person resigned pending disciplinary action. All reporting was carried out, including the Care Inspectorate, local authority, and SSSC.

“Kingdom Support & Care takes all actions which contravene the SSSC Code of practice very seriously and always acts in the best interests of those we support.”

Tip Toes Nursery did not wish to comment.