A CARE worker has been struck off after he “slapped” a colleague and challenged his co-worker to a fight.
Gordon Riach is a former residential support worker at Rossie Young People’s Trust in Montrose, which provides residential care.
He faced allegations from the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) in a hearing at Compass House in Dundee.
It was alleged that Riach had behaved in a “threatening manner” towards a colleague at the facility, named only in an SSSC report as AA, by challenging him to a fight outside.
He was also accused of striking or slapping the same colleague on the face, and in doing so, “caused harm and/or placed AA at risk of harm”.
The incident was said to have taken place in July last year, while Riach was employed there. The SSSC found that Riach had committed misconduct after he admitted allegations against him.
He was further accused of failing to comply with an interim order placed on his registration in November last year, whereby he was required to submit evidence to the SSSC on a monthly basis — which he also admitted.
David Mitchell, head of operations at Rossie, said: “Rossie Young People’s Trust does not comment on matters relating to individual mambers of staff. Rossie is highly committed to providing a safe working environment for all staff and young people.
“Our policies and governing codes of conduct ensure transparent employee responsibility to treat colleagues and young people in our care with dignity and respect.”
Addressing Riach in its report, the SSSC said: “Social service workers and other workers have the right to expect that they will be treated with dignity and respect and their health and safety protected by their social service colleagues.
“Your behaviour in challenging your colleague to a fight and then physically striking him across the face constituted a failure to treat your colleague with dignity and respect, demonstrated an unacceptable disregard for your colleague, was a misuse of power and position and was behaviour which was incompatible with a person registered with the council.”
It said the incident had happened “at a secure unit for troubled and vulnerable children, some of whom may have been exposed to violence in the past”.
However, the SSSC said Riach had “demonstrated regret” after the incident.
Riach couldn’t be reached for comment.