A social worker has been struck off after an investigation found her behaviour caused someone she was meant to be helping “relapse into alcoholism”.
Carol-Ann Gillespie, who worked for Aberdeen Cyrenians between February 2014 and March 2016, was accused of sending inappropriate text messages to a vulnerable service user, and arranging to meet her for coffee, without management knowledge.
The Scottish Social Services Council, who considered her case, ruled Ms Gillespie put her own personal interests before the service user, and had inappropriate communication with her.
In their findings, the noted the woman – known only as AA – “had been abstinent from alcohol consumption for a period of time leading up to December 2015.
“By February 2016 she had relapsed into alcoholism.”
The watchdog ruled her fitness to practice was impaired, and decided to remove her from the register.
The findings said: “As an experienced worker who had detailed knowledge of [the user] and her vulnerabilities, you ought to have reasonably anticipated that your actions might harm her and that the harm might be significant.
“Your lack of insight into the nature of your misconduct and its potential consequences for AA gives rise to concern that you will repeat the misconduct and that your fitness to practice will remain impaired.”
A spokesperson for the Aberdeen Cyrenians declined to comment, but confirmed that Ms Gillespie was no longer working with the Cyrenians.