An Edinburgh carer has been given a three-year warning on their registration after verbally abusing vulnerable a service user in a care from home setting.
Daniel Cashman was given the warning by the Scottish Social Services Council as they found him to have breached his fitness to practice whilst swearing and acting aggressively towards a patient on multiple occasions.
Whilst working with Mental Health organisation, with YOU, Cashman is judged to have acted in a threatening manner towards a service user, including foul-mouthed rants telling them to "get out of their f****** bed," and "get in the f****** shower."
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Cashman was also judged to have told one service user that he would "withdraw your support if you don't get up," and in reference to a vulnerable person, he said: "he's been up all f****** night," and "F***** if I know but don't let the c*** sleep, get him out for a walk."
This string of verbally abusive comments were judged to have occurred on or around October 2020, with the SSSC deciding that Cashman's fitness to practice is impaired because of his misconduct.
In relation to the abusive language shown by Cashman, The SSSC Committee said: "Social care workers are expected to treat the people they support with dignity and respect and not to abuse or harm them. You repeatedly shouted and swore at service user AA.
"You threatened to withdraw his support if he didn’t do as you wanted. This was verbal abuse and threatening behaviour towards a vulnerable person in his own home where he is entitled to feel safe and protected and free to make his own independent choices.
"Further you used offensive and derogatory language when speaking to a colleague about AA. This was unprofessional and a failure to communicate in an appropriate way. On the day in question, AA wished to stay in bed.
Your response to AA wishing to stay in bed is concerning. Your behaviour breached fundamental values of the profession. The social services profession is a caring and responsible profession and this behaviour falls far short of the standards expected."
However, the committee pointed to the fact that Cashman has shown a level of remorse and insight, as well as not working within a social care setting since the incident took place.
Factors that went against Cashman include the fact that the service user was having issues at the time adjusting to his lack of independence, as well as the fact that Mr Cashman was operating in a supervisory role within the service.
Factors in Cashman's favour include the fact that he has no previous history of misconduct or poor practice and he has cooperated with the SSSC's investigation, as well as demonstrating a level of remorse and insight.
