A Crieff carer has been struck off by a watchdog after hiding a warning on his record.
Graeme Brown was previously handed a two-year warning for misconduct during his employment with Dundee City Council.
That 2015 case centred on claims he had copied patient records and given them to a former colleague – though he claimed he did so while under duress.
After leaving the council, Brown then failed to tell Perthshire-based firm Avenue Care Services about the warning when he started working there.
He later applied for several roles at different companies throughout 2018-2020, failing to disclose issues with his registration at the interview stage each time.
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) found Brown, who has worked as a carer since 2006, repeatedly failed to provide this information to employers to conceal his disciplinary history.
Investigation probes Crieff carer’s actions
An investigation also found Brown had failed to tell the SSSC about his job with Avenue Care Services in a bid to prevent the regulator from informing his new employer about his past misconduct.
A report from the watchdog said: “By your actions you acted dishonestly in that your motivation was concealing from your prospective employer that your registration with the SSSC, on the part of the register for support workers in a care home service for adults, was subject to a warning.”
The panel investigating his behaviour heard from a number of witnesses, including those who interviewed him for the various roles he had applied for.
While confirming Brown did not initially disclose issues with his registration, the witnesses said they did not have issues with the care work he carried out.
Worker ‘did not want employers to pre-judge him’
Brown, who did not attend the hearing, said he had failed to disclose the warning in the hope his new employers would get to know him first – rather than pre-judging him because of past issues.
The SSSC panel said a warning or suspension would not be appropriate.
The report added: “The panel noted that there had been serious and deliberate misconduct by you, consisting of deliberate and planned dishonesty.
There appeared to be a significant and persistent lack of insight into the seriousness of your actions and their consequences”
SSSC
“There had been an abuse of trust. There appeared to be a significant and persistent lack of insight into the seriousness of your actions and their consequences.”
Brown could not be reached for comment.
The ruling comes just weeks after two Crieff-based care workers were warned by the SSSC for having a punch-up while a vulnerable resident sat on the toilet.
The regulator heard how Stacey Creelman and Ruth Elder had been involved in a “personal conflict”.
Kinross childcare worker warned after speeding 30 times in company car
Conversation