AN INVERKEITHING child care worker has been warned after failing to report a romantic relationship between a colleague and a young person.

John Charles Scott who, at the time, was employed as a residential care worker by Radical Services Ltd at Forth Craig in Inverkeithing, placed the young person at increased risk of harm, a Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) hearing decided.

It also ruled he breached the trust placed in him as a professional in the sector and a registered worker by failing to maintain professional boundaries with people who use services and carers.

The SSC told Scott that between February 2, 2019, and February 10, 2019, he failed to report to his employer that colleague AA was engaging in a romantic relationship which crossed professional boundaries with young person XX.

On dates unknown but after February 2019, he assisted AA to meet XX outside of work in that he did drive them to an unknown location or locations in his vehicle.

Also, on unknown dates between, in or around October 2018, and in or around February 2019, he told a colleague BB: “You have a nice backside”, or words to that effect; “you are trying to tease me”, or words to that effect; and, on a date unknown to the SSSC, read the supervision notes of a colleague.

Following the end of his employment with Radical Services Ltd, between on or around February 3, 2020, and on or around April 24, 2020, while registered with the SSSC as a residential childcare worker, he failed to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with YY (a young person living at Forth Craig in that, on various dates, he sent electronic messages to YY, offering them a Chrome notebook and dongle, stating: “Right, I can give you a Chrome notebook worth £240, a dongle to get on the internet with and three months' worth of data, unlimited calls and texts for that three months and it’s up to you if you use it after that as it’s pay as you go. Some Asda vouchers or Tesco up to £30 and a care pack with random stuff in it or if your mobile needs topped up we will put tenner in it every month for three months. You don’t have to do anything I’ll get it to you in the next five days. See I always still look out for you.”

He added: “Be careful because I don’t want any of that whole child protection stuff again.”

Also, on an unknown date, he met the young person outside of Forth Craig, gave them and a former service-user £10 to share and on or after January 29, 2020 put £15 into the young person’s bank account, and he failed to report to Forth Craig that the young person had asked him to lend money

The SSSC ruled that his fitness to practise was impaired because of his misconduct.

The authority stated this was because "You did not report an unprofessional relationship between a colleague and a young person. In failing to report this in a timeous manner, you have placed the young person at increased risk of harm.

"You were in a position of trust in caring for vulnerable young people. You breached the trust placed in you as a professional in the sector and a registered worker by failing to maintain professional boundaries with people who use services and carers.

"You failed to recognise the responsibility of your position as a registered social service worker to maintain professional boundaries with service-users, who you were trusted to care for and not to abuse the trust of people who use services, or the access you had to personal information about them. The public, service-users and their families would expect registered workers to adhere to this.

"You contacted service user YY after you were dismissed from the service and offered to provide him with electronic goods. You met YY in the community and gave YY and ZZ money. Your actions constitute a failure to maintain professional boundaries and also amount to an abuse of trust.

"Social service workers must also treat colleagues with respect and be truthful, open, honest and trustworthy. You have been untrustworthy by accessing colleague CC’s personal supervision file.

"The behaviour is not easily remediable, and you have failed to show sufficient insight. Your failure to maintain professional boundaries has placed service-users and colleagues involved at risk of harm and falls below the standards expected of social service workers.

"The behaviour is serious and the SSSC cannot be assured that the behaviour would not be repeated. It would negatively impact public confidence and the reputation of the profession if the SSSC did not take action to reaffirm the standards required of registered workers."

The council placed a warning on his registration for a period of three years and imposed a number of conditions surrounding further training and the submission of a written reflective account.

In making its decision, the SSSC said: "You have failed to show sufficient insight or remorse for your actions. As a registered worker, you were expected to maintain professional boundaries with both service-users and colleagues. The misconduct occurred in the course of your duties as a residential care worker and after your dismissal, connected with your professional capacity. The behaviour is a pattern due to the persistent nature of failing to maintain professional boundaries with service-users and colleagues and was an abuse of trust as you were in a position of power and authority and failed to recognise your responsibility or duty of care to the service-users."