A deceitful carer who repeatedly stole money from a vulnerable man and tried to cover it up has been struck off.
John Prentice was working as a support worker for Potential Living in Motherwell when began taking advantage of the disabled man in August 2020.
Over two months, he regularly took £10 notes from the service user's cash tin but tried to conceal it by forging documents to claim that the cash had been given to him.
He went on to get his victim to sign a cash sheet stating that he had received £80 when this wasn't the case. In fact, the man didn't have the capability to manage his own finances and had a limited understanding of language.
Prentice was called before the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) who have now banned him from the profession.
In a decision notice, the care watchdog said: “Social service workers are expected to be truthful, open, honest and trustworthy. You took £10 from service user AA’s cash tin on eight separate occasions for your own use.
“This was dishonest, serious abuse of trust, and gives rise to significant concerns in relation to your integrity and values.
“You recorded on cash sheets that you had given the money to AA when you had not done so.
“This was carried out deliberately to conceal your dishonesty and further abused the trust placed in you.
“Your behaviour placed or was likely to have placed AA at risk of financial and emotional harm.
“Your actions formed a pattern of dishonest behaviour over approximately two months which only ended when your employer confronted you.
“You had AA sign the cash sheets on each occasion to indicate that he had received the money when he had not.
“This was a deliberate act and misuse of your power in order to conceal your actions.
“You took advantage of AA as a vulnerable person requiring support and your behaviour violates fundamental values of the profession.
“You have admitted your behaviour, expressed remorse and have shown some insight.
“However you have not demonstrated developed insight into the impact of your behaviour on AA, who did not have capacity to manage their own finances and had limited understanding of language.
“You have also not considered the impact of your actions on AA’s family, your colleagues, members of the public and the public confidence in the profession.
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“You have not worked in the sector for over a year and have not demonstrated any positive practise since the behaviour in question.
“Your lack of developed insight and the pattern to your behaviour gives rise to a risk that it could be repeated in the future.
“Your actions seriously call into question your suitability to continue working in the social services sector with vulnerable people who may be at risk of financial exploitation.”
The panel noted that Prentice had paid the money back and apologised for his actions.
But they decided the only appropriate sanction would be to have his name removed from the register from December 2.
