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‘I wish you were six feet under’: Inverness support worker struck off due to behaviour

The Shetland-based social service worker has been issued a warning from the Scottish Social Services Council.
The support worker has been struck off by the SSSC. Photo: Shutterstock

An Inverness support worker has been struck off by a watchdog due to her behaviour, including telling a patient that “I wish you were six feet under.”

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) ruled that Sheila McLuskie’s fitness to practise is “impaired” and imposed a removal order on her, barring her from working in care home services for adults, in a home service, as well as in housing support services.

It was found that while employed as a support worker in Cromarty, McLuskie was involved in a number of incidents, including failing to intervene when one resident was displaying “heightened” behaviour to another, with one threatening to “tie” the other up.

‘Stop being so cheeky’

During the incident, she was described as engaging with a patient in an “aggressive” and “confrontational” manner, telling them to “stop being so cheeky, there is no need for it, you are a very cheeky obstinate woman” and “we can’t be nice to you because you are so horrible”.

When the resident was displaying “heightened” behaviour and asking repetitive questions, McLuskie pointed in their face and shouted, “shut up, I wish you were six feet under, shut up”.

Behaviour ‘fundamentally incompatible’

The SSSC said that her behaviour was “fundamentally incompatible” with continued professional registration.

It said her actions “raise significant concerns regarding her underlying values
and attitude” adding that although she has shown some “reflection”, she has demonstrated a “disregard and contempt for the rights and dignity of a resident”.

The watchdog said that a removal order was the most appropriate
sanction in order “to protect the public and uphold the public interest”.

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