A Fraserburgh support worker has received a warning from watchdogs after inappropriately touching two colleagues while at work.
Zoe Paul was under investigation by the Scottish Social Services Council for her actions as a support practitioner for Cornerstone Community Care.
Registered in Fraserburgh, Paul faced allegations that on August 12, 2024, she stood behind a female colleague and grabbed her breasts without her consent.
She went on to slap the colleague on the bottom, as well as touch another colleague in the same area.
On August 15, she squeezed a third colleague’s bottom without her consent.
On August 16, she encouraged a service user to tell her to “shut up” by saying to them “what do we tell people who are annoying you?”
The panel felt Paul’s behaviour had impaired her fitness.
‘You have disrespected your colleagues’
The report stated: “By inappropriately touching your colleagues without their consent, you have not maintained professional boundaries.
“You have disrespected your colleague’s expectations they can go to work and not be made to feel uncomfortable by another colleague’s behaviour towards them.
“While you may not have intentionally set out to make your colleagues feel this way, you have repeated this behaviour on several occasions, with no regard to how you might be making your colleagues feel.”
The report made clear that Paul’s actions were not sexually motivated and while colleagues were uncomfortable, they recognised her actions were intended as humour.
In reference to the August 16 incident, the report stated: “It is not dignified to encourage a person you support to communicate with you, or anyone else, in this manner.
“If that behaviour was to be repeated, the individual’s family may be
concerned about the lack of respect shown to their family member.”
Paul showed insight and regret for her actions, and a good reference from her manager went in her favour with the SSSC panel.
The SSSC concluded the appropriate punishment was a two-year warning on her file, effective January 2.
Support worker ‘no longer employed by Cornerstone’
Colin Phillips, director of delivery for Cornerstone said: “The health, wellbeing and safety of our colleagues and the people we support is an absolute priority for Cornerstone, and we take any allegations of inappropriate behaviour very seriously.
“As per our organisational policies, a thorough investigation was carried out and our internal procedures were followed.
“The person involved is no longer employed by Cornerstone. The SSSC were kept informed and upon conclusion of our investigation we reported the findings and outcomes to them.”
Conversation