Disgraced Dumfries youth carer fights charges

A DUMFRIES woman who put alcohol in a teenager’s soft-drink has been removed from the child care register.

Christine Dickson breached several rules and regulations while employed as a residential child care worker in the town by Front Line Scotland.

She was found guilty by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) at an inquiry which concluded in Dundee on Friday.

The 35-year-old claims she has been “unjustly treated” and has vowed to contest her dismissal.

Miss Dickson told the Standard: “I will be fighting this case and am 100 per cent appealing against this decision.

“There are maybe one or two things that I will hold my hands up for and I am sorry for that.

“One or two harmless mistakes were made, I admit that, but I feel that I have been unjustly treated.”

Alcohol

Miss Dickson was found guilty of pouring alcohol into a 15-year-old’s soft-drink while she was in her care at a caravan park in Wemyss Bay in July 2010.

Documents state that she allowed the vulnerable teenager, known as P, to call her “mum” and also took her to visit the girl’s father in defiance of orders.

Miss Dickson, who worked at the Ryedale House residential care facility, took P to visit her father in Stranraer on October 13, 2010, even though the council’s social work department had told her he was to have no contact with his daughter.

She returned with the girl to Ryedale House in the early hours of the morning following the visit but later falsified records to indicate that she was in bed before midnight.

As well as buying and allowing P to purchase alcohol, Miss Dickson failed to maintain professional standards when she bought clothes and hair accessories for the girl and, on a separate occasion, applied fake tan to a teenage boy’s upper body.

It was also found that she failed to follow correct procedures by not accurately recording personnel and vehicle checks.

She added: “I absolutely do not accept some of these charges.

“I am being punished for things such as buying a pack of sausage rolls with my own money for a couple of the children to share.

“I do not believe I have done anything seriously wrong.

“These were silly little things and I have been removed from the register because of it. I will be fighting this.”

The SSSC panel concluded that Miss Dickson should not be allowed to remain on the register of childcare workers.

Miss Dickson did not attend the three-day inquiry.