Irvine carer struck off register for stealing from client

Lynsey Anderson, who worked in the town, was told she was no longer fit to practice by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) last week.

A hearing heard that Anderson had been convicted of theft at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on August 23 last year.

The court heard that she stole a quantity of cash from one of her clients in the town between May 30 and July 30, 2023.

The SSSC panel agreed she should be removed from the register.

They said she was no longer fit to practice because a service user was financially harmed as a result of her actions.

In their report, they ruled: "Your behaviour was deliberate and demonstrated a significant disregard for the codes of practice.

"You held a position of trust to care for a vulnerable person and abused this position of trust in the most serious way. You concealed your actions from your employer. You failed to co-operate with the SSSC during the investigation."

Their report continued: "You have been convicted of stealing money from a service user. A conviction such as this represents an abuse of the trust and confidence placed in you by your employer, individuals who use services, their families and the wider general public.

"Your actions were dishonest and should be considered as the most serious of departures from the codes of practice.

"Vulnerable service users should be treated with dignity and respect and should not be exploited by those who are caring for them.

"Service users and their families should be able to place trust in social service workers to provide compassionate care and not behave in a way which will cause them harm."

They added: "Your behaviour suggests significant values and attitudinal issues which cannot easily be remedied.

"There is no reassurance that the behaviour would not be repeated in future. A finding of impairment is necessary to protect the public and uphold standards of conduct expected of social service workers."