A CARE worker has been given a warning after taking a young person she was looking after to Dunfermline and letting him spend money unsupervised when not allowed.

Fife Council employee Sharee Mullan was told by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) that her fitness to practise had been impaired.

Mullan, who is employed as a residential childcare worker at Mainstone Residential Care Home in Leven, drove the young person, described only as AA, to Dunfermline on February 26 last year and allowed him to be unsupervised when she knew he was not permitted to be in the Dunfermline area.

She also gave him £10 pocket money when he was not permitted to have money to spend unsupervised.

Mullan later told a colleague that AA had bought food from a chip shop and had taken the change when she knew this was not true, therefore acting dishonestly in the opinion of the SSSC.

The decision report said social service workers were expected not to place service users at a risk of harm and to take necessary steps to reduce the risk of people who use services harming themselves or others.

“You placed AA at a risk of harm by taking him to a location where you knew he was not permitted to be as he could engage in negative behaviours there and place himself at a risk of harm,” it stated.

“You also provided AA with money, in the knowledge that he was on supervised spending, meaning that a staff member should have been responsible for his money at all times.”

The report said the SSSC accepted Mullan did not intend to place the service user at risk of harm and had shown “considerable insight and regret”, however said she was in a position of trust caring for a vulnerable service user.

“You have apologised for your actions and have offered an apology to your colleagues involved,” it added.

“Your employer has no concerns about your current practice.

“However, your behaviour falls below the standards expected of a worker registered with the SSSC.

"It may negatively impact public confidence and the reputation of the profession if the SSSC did not take action to reaffirm the standards required of registered workers.”

A warning has now been placed on Mullan’s registration which will remain in place for 18 months.

Fife Council’s head of HR, Sharon McKenzie, was unable to comment on the decision.

She said: “As a responsible employer Fife Council can’t discuss individual circumstances of current or former staff members.”