Ayrshire care home supervisor struck off after swindling cash from a boys’ football club

Louise Williams embezzled £549.71 while she was treasurer of an Under 14s team.

Williams worked at Fullarton Care Home.

An Ayrshire care home supervisor has been struck off after swindling cash from a boys’ football club.

Louise Williams, who previously worked at Fullarton Care Home in Irvine, embezzled £549.71 while she was treasurer of an Under 14s team.

She was convicted of the offence at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on January 18th this year, prompting the care regulator, the Scottish Social Services Council, to open proceedings against her.

The Scottish Social Services Council found that in or around February 2020, while employed at Fullarton, Williams did not inform them Police Scotland had charged her in connection with the embezzlement.

And after Williams passed up the opportunity to have her case heard by a Fitness to Practise Panel, the watchdog decided the only proper sanction was to remove her from their register from May 26th.

In a decision notice, the Scottish Social Services Council said: "You have been convicted of embezzlement while acting as treasurer of a children’s football club.

"Being convicted of a crime of dishonesty while acting in a position of trust calls into question your suitability to work as a social services worker, as it demonstrates that you are willing to abuse the trust placed in you for your financial gain.

"Your actions caused financial harm and could have caused emotional damage. Your behaviour breaches the trust and confidence of a social services worker.

The Scottish Social Services Council said Louise Williams’ actions were "fundamentally incompatible with the profession's values."

"By failing to communicate your criminal charge to the Scottish Social Services Council, you prevented the Scottish Social Services Council from carrying out the appropriate risk assessment to assess whether action needed to be taken in respect of your registration with the Scottish Social Services Council in light of the criminal charge against you.

"Your behaviour could have placed users of services and the wider public at an increased risk of harm."

The Scottish Social Services Council acknowledged the embezzlement was an isolated incident in February 2018 but said Williams' behaviour was "fundamentally incompatible with the values of the profession".

They also said there was no evidence of any insight, regret, or reflection and, therefore, a risk of repeated similar behaviour.

The regulator said no other sanction was right given the severe nature of events.