Inverness support worker removed from Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) register after stealing cash
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An Inverness support worker convicted of stealing £200 has been removed from the Scottish Social Services Council’s (SSSC) register.
Samantha Goldie was convicted at Inverness Sheriff Court in May of stealing the cash at a property in the city in March 2021.
She was also convicted of being found in the same property without lawful authority with the intention to commit theft in February last year.
Her victims were two vulnerable people she was trusted to care for.
Goldie (33) was given a community payback order with 75 hours unpaid work.
The SSSC has now found that her fitness to practise is impaired, saying these were “serious crimes of dishonesty” and has removed her from the part of its register for support workers in care at home services.
“Social service workers must not financially abuse people who use services,” the SSSC stated in its decision.
“Social service workers should not behave, while in work or outside of work, in a way which would bring their suitability to work in social services into question.
“You have been convicted of the offences of theft and being within a property without reasonable cause.
“These are serious crimes of dishonesty.
“The victims of your offending behaviour were two vulnerable people you were trusted to care for.
“Your behaviour would have caused harm to them and represents a serious abuse of trust placed in you by the service users, their families, your employer and the public.”
The SSSC said it considered her behaviour fell far below the standards expected of registered workers.
“Such behaviour breaches the fundamental value of the profession to be honest and trustworthy,” it stated.
“As the behaviour relates to your values, we therefore consider it to be difficult to remediate.
“The SSSC has no reassurance that the behaviour would not be repeated.
“If the behaviour were to be repeated there would be a real risk of harm to vulnerable people who may be at risk of financial exploitation.
“Therefore, there is a clear and ongoing public protection risk.”
It said the SSSC had a duty to uphold proper standards of conduct and behaviour from social service workers.
In issuing its decision, it highlighted several factors of concern saying Ms Goldie’s actions were deliberate and premeditated.
It said her actions would have caused financial harm to the service users and exploited their vulnerabilities which amounted to a serious abuse of trust.
If said a factor in her favour was that she previously had a good history with the SSSC.
It added that other sanctions such as a warning, condition or suspension order would not be appropriate.
It wrote to her on June 20 stating it wanted to place a removal order on her registration but she had not asked for the case to be referred to a fitness to practise panel.
