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Carer suspended for 6 months for placing pillow on resident’s face

A support worker has been suspended following an investigation. Supplied by Shutterstock
A support worker has been suspended following an investigation. Supplied by Shutterstock

A north-east carer has been suspended, after a hearing found she had placed a pillow over a vulnerable man’s face, as well as mimicking and laughing at him.

Ewa Krupa-Silva, who has been suspended for six months, was working as a support worker in a north-east care home service for adults when the incident took place.

The name of the care home has not been released by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

The SSSC today published a report into a panel hearing held over 11 days in March, April, May and June.

The panel found Krupa-Silva had placed a pillow over a resident, and her fitness to practice was impaired.

Krupa-Silva was also found to have said “go away, get off” to mimic what the male adult in her care was saying while he was distressed during a night shift.

Ms Krupa-Silva is said to have laughed at the man and caused distress to him by her actions.

The SSSC found Krupa-Silva’s “serious” behaviour caused emotional distress to the man and could have resulted in physical harm.

‘That will keep you quiet’

One witness told the panel that she was asked to assist Krupa-Silva and another worker with the man’s care while on night shift.

According to the witness the service user could be “quite difficult” and “could be aggressive and sometimes spat”.

When carers entered the room, the man was distressed. The witness said Krupa-Silva and another staff member were mocking him by mimicking what he was saying.

According to the witness, the man was reluctant to let Krupa-Silva put a pillow under his head.

She said Krupa-Silva then placed the pillow on his face for “a few seconds” saying, “that will keep you quiet”.

The incident was reported the following night to a manager. Two months later the witness reported it directly to the SSSC herself.

Another worker told the panel Krupa-Silva was “very hardworking” and had a good rapport with residents.

‘Learned from this experience’

In her defence, Krupa-Silva herself claimed she used the pillow as a “barrier” to stop the man from spitting on her.

She said it was the beginning of the Covid pandemic, and she was concerned about the virus.

She admitted she was wrong to use the pillow “as a shield” and spoke with her manager about it.

Krupa-Silva did not accept that she spoke to the man in the way detailed by the witness, and claimed she did not laugh at him.

The report noted: “You [Krupa-Silva] said you love caring for people and love doing what you do. You have definitely learned from this experience.”

The SSSC panel recognised the carer had an “unblemished” work history and no issues had arisen since.

It was noted Krupa-Silva had “shown some insight” into her behaviour and carried out all training and supervision required.

However, in sanctioning Krupa-Silva the panel suspended her from her position for six months. Before being reinstated on the register, she would need to submit a reflective account about her behaviour to the SSSC.

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