An Edinburgh carer has been struck off the register after tormenting a series of vulnerable patients with verbal abuse.
A decision was made to remove Thomas Paterson from the Social Services register this week after his actions, which took place in 2021.
While working as a support worker at Visualise Scotland, Mr Paterson was found to have said a number of vile comments to two different residents staying at one of their premises.
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Investigating the incident, a report from the SSSC confirmed Mr Paterson had hurled an array of comments towards one resident in a ‘period of around ten minutes.’
Shouting at the individual, Mr Paterson had asked why they were ‘acting like a baby’, as well as telling them ‘no one wants to work with you’ and adding that they were a ‘waste of skin.’
After the resident had reportedly told Mr Paterson to ‘f**** off’ out of his house following the comments, the carer had replied that it ‘wasn’t his house’, and had threatened to ‘take him outside.’
Looking into a separate incident, the SSSC also found that Mr Paterson had restricted another patient’s movement around a garden.
Preventing them from going back inside, the carer had also held their legs on either side of the patient to stop them moving away, as well as locking the door to the house so they couldn’t get back inside.
Reviewing Mr Paterson’s actions, the council viewed his behaviour as “aggressive and extremely derogatory”, with a report stating:
“Social service workers are expected to treat vulnerable residents in their care with dignity, respect, and compassion in what is their home. Your conduct towards resident AA was verbally abusive, aggressive and extremely derogatory.
"It showed a lack of self control and placed AA at risk of serious emotional and psychological harm.
"Residents have the right to choose, and social service workers are expected to promote the independence of people in their care while protecting them, as far as possible, from danger and harm. Your conduct towards resident BB was physically abusive, causing him emotional harm and risking longer-term psychological harm.”
Mr Paterson was removed from the SSSC Register effective from April 27, 2022.
