Care worker who supplied “vulnerable” teen with alcohol struck off
A RESIDENTIAL child care worker who supplied alcohol to a “vulnerable” teenager has been struck off.
Douglas Taylor breached several rules and regulations while employed as a residential child care worker with CareVisions Group Ltd in Thornhill.
And he was removed from the care register by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) after an inquiry into his conduct at work.
Documents state that Mr Taylor supplied a 15-year-old girl – known as AA – with booze while she was in his care at a caravan park in Wemyss Bay between July 3 and July 10, 2010.
He also sent “inappropriate text messages of a sexual nature” to the girl, who cannot be named, and told her that he was “horny”.
The SSSC also found that Mr Taylor allowed the girl to have overnight contact with an adult man during this week, which was in defiance of her care plan.
And he “consumed alcohol daily” while caring for the girl and was judged to be “intoxicated” on at least one occasion.
The SSSC said: “He behaved in a negligent manner by failing to ensure the safety and wellbeing of service user AA whilst on the holiday.”
Between July 2009 and July 2010, it was found that Mr Taylor took the girl to his own home on two separate occasions.
And on March 28, 2010, in defiance of her care plan, he took the girl to her own family home.
Contact with the teenager’s family was only to take place at a “designated social work office”.
It was also noted that Mr Taylor failed to record many of these incidents.
The SSSC adjudged that Mr Taylor “was not a safe practitioner” and said that he “demonstrated a lack of insight into the serious nature of his conduct and the potential consequences for the service user”.
He was employed with CareVisions as a residential child care worker from April 28, 2008 until his dismissal on December 30, 2010.
A removal order came into effect on March 12, 2011, and the SSSC inquiry was carried out between February 15 and 17, 2012.
No appeal was made following the decision.
The SSSC, while noting Mr Taylor’s “previous good conduct and history”, concluded: “The sub-committee considered that the registrant’s behaviour was fundamentally incompatible with being a residential child care worker.
“His acts and omissions were very serious. His actions were deliberate, premeditated and at times dishonest involving concealment of his actions.
“His actions involved potentially serious risk of harm to a vulnerable service user.”
Mr Taylor could not be reached yesterday for a comment despite attempts by the Standard.
