A domiciliary care worker, based in Pontypool and Ebbw Vale, has been removed from the Register of Social Care Workers after a Social Care Wales hearing found her fitness to practise is currently impaired because of her criminal conviction.
The hearing was told that between 30 June and 20 July 2020, Carlyanne Wilson entered the home of a vulnerable person in her care while the individual was in hospital and stole £250 and a bank card, which she fraudulently used to buy things for herself.
Ms Wilson was subsequently convicted of theft and fraud at Newport Gwent Magistrates Court on 29 October 2020 after admitting to the offences.
After considering the evidence, the panel concluded that Ms Wilson’s fitness to practise was currently impaired because of her criminal conviction.
The panel explained its decision, saying: “We accept that Ms Wilson has expressed genuine apology and regret, and we accept that her criminal offending was out of character. However, what she did amounted to a very significant abuse of the trust placed in her by [the vulnerable person in her care] and [their] family.”
The panel continued: “Ms Wilson’s conduct amounted to a breach of a fundamental tenet of the social care profession, namely that carers should not harm those who rely on them. It also amounted to a failure to meet important expectations set out within the Code of Professional Practice for Social Care.”
Explaining further, the panel said: “Dishonesty is very difficult to remedy and, other than her expression of apology and regret, we have no evidence that Ms Wilson has taken steps towards remediation.
“Ms Wilson told the police that she had been under severe financial pressure at the time. We are concerned that she may succumb to temptation again if she suffers hard times and we conclude that it is much too soon to place any trust in her honesty and integrity.”
The panel decided to remove Ms Wilson from the Register, saying: “[It] is the only outcome which meets the need to protect members of the public from the risk of theft and the need to protect public confidence by showing that exploitation of access to people’s homes by domiciliary care workers is not tolerated.”
Ms Wilson was not present at the one-day hearing, which took place over Zoom this week.