A Fraserburgh support worker has been warned for inappropriately touching colleagues at work, raising serious concerns about professional conduct.
Fraserburgh: A support worker named Zoe Paul has landed herself in hot water after some seriously inappropriate behavior at work. She was found to have touched two of her colleagues without their consent, which is just not okay.
This all went down on August 12, 2024, when Zoe grabbed one colleague’s breasts. Then, just a few days later, she squeezed another colleague’s bottom. It’s pretty shocking, right? And it didn’t stop there. On August 16, she even encouraged a service user to tell her to “shut up.”
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) got involved and decided that Zoe’s actions were unprofessional. They slapped her with a two-year warning, saying she really messed up by not respecting her colleagues’ boundaries. They pointed out that a social care worker should create a positive environment, not make people feel uncomfortable.
According to the SSSC report, Zoe’s behavior was serious enough to make her colleagues feel uneasy at work. Even though she might not have meant to be harmful, it was still inappropriate. The panel noted that this wasn’t just a one-time thing; it happened multiple times, which shows a pattern of behavior.
Interestingly, Zoe did show some regret during the investigation. She even had a reference from her current manager, who said she gets along well with staff. But the SSSC still emphasized the need for her to improve her conduct to maintain public trust.
Colin Phillips, the Director of Delivery for Cornerstone, where Zoe worked, stated that they take any allegations of inappropriate behavior very seriously. They conducted a thorough investigation and made sure to keep the SSSC in the loop. Zoe is no longer employed there, which shows they’re committed to ensuring a safe workplace.
