A CARER was slapped with a warning after being caught abusing a resident in the shower.

Stuart Houston was reprimanded by the social service regulator for using abusive language when showering the vulnerable man while employed at Buckreddan Care Centre in Kilwinning.

They found that Houston who was washing the residents face while they were moving his head, said “no wonder no c**t wants to shower you” or, “no wonder no one wants to shower you” in a raised voice on or around November 5, 2018.

He was also found to have called the same resident an ‘a******e’, again whilst he was in the shower.

Houston denied swearing at the resident but admitted raising his voice.

The Scottish Social Services Council [SSSC] put a warning on his registration for two years after deciding on evidence that his fitness to practise is impaired after the misconduct.

He will also have to write a reflective account addressing his attitude and behaviour within three months.

The panel said: “Shouting and swearing at a vulnerable service user is verbally abusive, threatening and an abuse of power.

“Service users are reliant on their care workers to provide support and care, and should be treated with dignity and respect, particularly in a place where they live and in which they should feel safe, valued and supported.

“Saying to the resident in a raised voice words to the effect that no one wanted to work with him and then calling him an ‘a******e’ when he was being showered, placed him at risk of harm.

“Your behaviour could have caused him distress and made him reluctant to access help in the future.

“Your actions were likely to cause the resident fear, place him at risk of emotional and psychological harm, and are incompatible with professional registration.

“The public, including those that use services, should be able to place complete reliance on the integrity of workers.

“You deny swearing at the resident but admit raising your voice. You have apologised and appear to regret your actions, stating that you should not have reacted the way you did and what you would do differently should a similar situation arise.

“Your behaviour is serious and amounts to a failing in a basic tenet of the profession, that being, caregiving and not placing service users at risk of harm.”