An Edinburgh carer failed to attend over a dozen scheduled visits to vulnerable service users, leaving them at risk of 'physical harm'.
Kalin Cowan has been removed from the register following a hearing with the Scottish Social Services Council. On several occasions during the Covid-19 pandemic, Cowan failed to attend morning, lunch and evening visits to patients.
The incidents took place while Cowan was employed as a support worker for All-in Homecare Ltd in Edinburgh in 2020. Around November 29, Cowan failed to attend all three scheduled visits, as well as missing a lunch visit two weeks later, a morning and lunch visit days after that and a morning and lunch visit on November 18.
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As a result, vulnerable service users did not get the treatment and check-ups they required. In relation to a separate service user, Cowan also missed several scheduled visits in December 2020 and also falsified the daily log notes stating that he did attend.
Cowan also notified the on-call manager that he attended the visits despite not turning up. In relation to a third service user, Cowan failed to attend multiple visits in the same months of November and December, once again falsifying the daily log notes.
As a result of these actions, the council removed Cowan from the social services register, saying: "Failing to attend rostered shifts or to visits arranged for service users shows a disregard for users’ safety and wellbeing and places them at risk as they do not get the support they need.
"Through multiple absences you left users at risk of potential physical harm as they did not get the services that they were assessed as needing at the required times. Social service workers are trusted to care for vulnerable people who rely on them to showup when they are supposed to in order to provide the care that they require.
"Your behaviour falls below the standard of professionalism expected from social service workers. Social service workers must be truthful, honest and trustworthy. By falsifying records to state that you had attended care visits when you did not, you acted dishonestly in that you sought to receive financial payment for visits that were not carried out."
The SSSC concluded by saying Cowan has not cooperated with their investigation and there were no factors in his favour following the outcome of the hearing, so a striking off order was deemed the only plausible punishment.
Call-in Homecare, who Cowan was employed by at the time of the incidents, were approached for comment.
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