Fife care worker struck off after after posting Facebook message about dead resident

A Fife care home worker has been struck off after posting an insensitive message on Facebook about a deceased resident.

Cheryl Cunningham wrote words to the effect of “the home is going to be too quiet now without your banging” under a post by a funeral director announcing the resident’s death.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) said the Leven carer’s words were “entirely inappropriate and demonstrated a failure to show dignity and respect”.

In its decision notice, the SSSC said: “Social service workers are required to communicate appropriately and to use social media in a responsible and professional manner.

“In addition, the comment breached principles of confidentiality and risked bringing into disrepute the social services profession.”

Ms Cunningham’s comment on social media, posted on July 25 last year, would not only have breached confidentiality but also caused distress to the family, said the SSSC.

The social services watchdog said she should be removed from the register for support workers in a care home service for adults. She can appeal the decision.

Her fitness to practice was also found impaired because of incidents in September last year where she had failed to apply the brakes to a commode and failed to ensure a resident had access to a buzzer, leaving the resident at risk of choking.

“The behaviour is very serious,” said the SSSC.

“There have been a number of serious failings over the course of 12 months, which placed vulnerable people at an increased risk, and despite two previous disciplinary hearings by your employer, you continued to fail to practice safely and effectively.”

Ms Cunningham was one of three Fife care home workers to be struck off so far this month.

June Austin, who worked in the Glenrothes area, was sanctioned with removal from the register after being convicted of charges including assault and road traffic offences at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

On May 23, 2017, Ms Austin became involved in a fight with a man in Glenrothes and slapped another man on the face. She appeared in court in July the same year.

She had a drink driving conviction from the year before, after driving with more than five times the legal alcohol limit in her system in Harper Crescent, Glenrothes, on June 28, 2016. Her reading was 121 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 22 mics.

She had previously been convicted of failing to stop and give details after being involved in an accident, failing to report the accident to police and driving a car with no test certificate at Central Retail Park in Kirkcaldy on February 13, 2016.

Ms Austin can appeal the SSSC’s decision.

Cowdenbeath care home worker Graham Reddington was removed from the register on December 5.

Mr Reddington’s fitness to practice was found to be impaired after failing to check on a resident who wandered down a corridor and entered another resident’s bed.

The SSSC also found that he had provided care on his own, when the work required more than one worker, and falsified a colleague’s initials on a monitoring chart to conceal his actions.

“The allegations are serious, although not at the top end of the scale,” said the SSSC in relation to Mr Reddington’s case.