A PRACTITIONER in a children’s day care centre has been struck off after being found guilty of a series of misconduct charges.

Catriona Brash faced six charges in total when the case was heard by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), the industry regulator.

The offences took place when Brash was employed by West Dunbartonshire Council and committed at Clydebank Early Education and Childcare Centre, dating from October 6, 2014 and May 7, 2015.

One of the charges alleged that Brash, whose town of employment was listed as Dumbarton, carried a two-year-old child from the bathroom by one arm, while another claimed she told a two-year-old child in a firm voice to “sit down,” or words to that effect.

Other charges related to Brash seemingly “ordering” a three-year-old child to pick up books he had thrown on the floor, while it was also claimed she said to a three-year-old child that it was “her fault” she did not know how a song went because that child was “a poor attender”.

Another charge claimed Brash was “disrespectful” to the mother of a two-year-old child after informing the parent she had to change the toddler because she was “soaking,”or words to that effect – and that the parent could not look at photographs of the children as she arrived too late to the centre. Other charges claimed she caused “fear and distress.”

The SSSC found that Brash’s fitness to practise has been impaired because “service users have the right to expect that they will be treated with dignity and respect and protected from harm by social service workers in whom they and the public place have placed their trust and confidence”.

In a written judgement they also found that Brash had demonstrated “bullying behaviour” displayed “aggressive, violent and abusive behaviour” and that she caused children, who may have witnessed her behaviour, to feel “distressed and intimidated”.

In total the SSSC had several “factors of concern” in relation to Brash’s behaviour.

They stated that “actual harm was caused to service users by way of fear and distress”, her behaviour placed vulnerable children “at risk of harm” and “concerned a pattern of more than one incident of analogous poor practice,” she “declined an offer of training” from her employer, her behaviour demonstrated a “serious disregard” for the Code of Practice and that her misconduct was serious and “fundamentally incompatible” with continuing to be a Social Service Worker.

The council did find, though, that Brash had “no history” of previous misconduct, co-operated fully with the SSSC and provided detailed comments.

But in summary the SSSC stated: “A suspension order would not be appropriate as your (Brash’s) behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with continuing registration.

“The interests of people who use services and the public would not be sufficiently protected by any period of suspension.

“There is no evidence that a period of suspension would allow you to remedy the cause of the impairment of your fitness to practise.”

They added: “The SSSC considers that a Removal Order is the most appropriate sanction as it is both necessary and justified in the public interest and to maintain the continuing trust and confidence in the social service profession and the SSSC as the regulator of the profession.”

In the wake of the hearing outcome West Dunbartonshire Council this week issued a statement which read: “This individual no longer works for the council and we would not comment on current or previous employees.”