Childcare manager faces misconduct charges for racist blog comments

A childcare centre manager who posted racist internet blogs and leaked confidential information about children in her care now faces being banned from ever working with young people again.

Helen McClymont, manager of Steelrings day care centre for children in Paisley, published a daily blog called ‘Helen’s Life’.

On the blog, she said that Muslims “smell of curry and have a stupid religion” and denounced Italians for working in fish and chip shops.

The childcare worker also posted racist remarks about Venezuelans and black people while working at the centre earlier in 2010.

She also breached confidentiality of children who attended Steelrings, and made “derogatory remarks about the children, parents of children and members of staff of the service.”

Now, McClymont faces six misconduct charges and could be banned from working in childcare services ever again.

At a misconduct hearing at the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) in Dundee, it was revealed that McClymont admitted making the comments on her blog, which has since been taken down.

The hearing heard that McClymont – who admitted her guilt in a statement of facts and is not appearing at the hearing – wrote at one point: “Most people who know me well know that I don’t like Muslim people. They smell of curry and have a stupid religion.”

She went on to deride Italians as “people who make ice-creams and work in fish ‘n chip shops.”

Now, her career appears to be in ruins and faces being struck off the SSSC register.

Presenter of the SSSC case, Lindsay Thomson told the misconduct panel: “This is the first case of its kind and it’s important that the SSSC position is clear.

“The allegations relate to derogatory, inappropriate comments, breaches of confidentiality, and inappropriate behaviour for a manager of a day care of children service. I suggest her actions amounted to premeditated or deliberate conduct.

“This blog was in the public domain. It was accessed by a Care Commission officer and reported to the SSSC.

“Mrs McClymont should have been aware of the possibility that other people were following her blog.

“Even if she thought it was private, the content falls well below of the standard of a SSSC manager of an educational institution.

“What we are faced with is the use of new technology which poses challenges not previously considered. The medium makes it worse because the information was available to the world – this was not a personal diary or letter, or conversation with someone in the street.

“What she said is not in dispute – there is agreed evidence.”

In a signed statement, Ms. McClymont said: “The only comments I would like taken into consideration was that I did not know this was a public blog – I thought it could only be accessed through private passwords only. I would never have written this if I knew it would be read by strangers.”

The hearing, before the misconduct panel led by convenor Margaret McAllister, continues.