A CARER who mocked and mistreated a Ballingry pensioner in a Fife care home has been struck off
Michael Sprunt subjected the resident to a series of abuse which included putting a blanket over her face and saying "rest in peace".
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) deemed that Michael Sprunt's behaviour was a "serious abuse" of the trust placed in him.
The decision comes after the resident's daughter, Nicola Hughes, lifted the lid on the mistreatment of her mum, Janette Ritchie, earlier this year.
Nicola had become so worried about what was happening to her mum that she set up a covert camera in the bedroom of Mrs Ritchie, who suffers from dementia, at the Barrogil House Care Home.
The shocking footage revealed the carer putting bedding over the face of Mrs Ritchie, who has dementia, saying "rest in peace" and captured other instances of verbal physical abuse.
READ MORE: Secret Fife care home filming reveals shocking abuse of pensioner
The SSSC decision report – which refers to Mrs Ritchie as AA – outlined incidents involving Sprunt which had taken place last year.
They included him shaking the bottom of AA’s bed in an attempt to wake her up, waving her blanket around her face in an attempt to wake her up. On more than one occasion, he pulled AA's blanket up to cover her face and said "rest in peace" and "she's alive".
He told her: "Blame the daughter we don't want to get you up, but your daughter says you have to get up because you're smelly" and mocked the noises that AA was making by repeating them.
Another day, he pushed and pulled AA's arm with excessive force to move her towards her bed, said: "get down radge", and pushed her onto her bed with excessive force
He said aggressively to AA: "I don't care who you are talking to, you're not putting the baffies on, get back into bed", pushed her back onto her bed and swung her legs onto her bed, both with excessive force
He said "you are the stupid one, that's the problem" and "you are awkward, very awkward you don't do what you are told."
The SSSC said Sprunt's behaviour impaired his fitness to practice.
"Social care workers are expected to treat the vulnerable residents in their care with dignity and respect, to care for them with compassion and to protect them from harm," said the decision report.
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"Your behaviour towards AA was physically and verbally abusive and aggressive. It showed a very serious disregard for AA’s welfare and rights, risking serious physical and emotional harm to her.
"Vulnerable individuals and their families have the right to trust those caring for them. Residents have no choice but to rely on carers for their most basic and personal of needs.
"Your treatment of AA in the comments you made to her was demeaning, belittling and degrading. In some instances, they were also mocking and goading of her. That demonstrates an extremely concerning attitude to vulnerability and was a serious abuse of your position of trust and power."
The SSSC said that the actions of Sprunt, who had worked as a carer without any previous findings against him for nine years, risked "serious physical and emotional harm" to a resident in his care.
They added: "Your behaviour was a serious abuse of the trust placed in you by AA and her family, and an abuse of your position of power. Your behaviour was deliberate."
Since the incidents, Nicola has been raising awareness of mistreatment in care homes and has gathered nearly 30,000 for a petition calling for cameras to be installed at all private nursing homes.
She has also documented her experiences on social media.
"My TikTok account went wild," she told the Times. "Sometimes I can't keep up with the messages from people looking for support.
"I actively encourage people if they have got concerns and nothing is getting done about to to buy a covert camera."
Anyone wanting to sign Nicola's petition can do it on the change.org website here.
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