A FORMER North Ayrshire carer has been handed a warning by industry watchdogs after turning up drunk to a service user's house.

It was also found that Senga Frew was not scheduled to be at that service user's home when she arrived under the influence of alcohol and fell on the person she was meant to be caring for.

At a hearing earlier this week, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) put an 12-month warning on her registration while finding Frew's fitness to practice was impaired.

The incident dates back to June of 2021, when Frew was employed by the North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership as a care at home assistant, and is said to have caused the service user emotional harm.

It was also found that in October of that year, she failed to attend her shifts and scheduled visits to service users' homes and failed to adhere to her employer’s absence reporting procedures.

The SSSC investigation documents added that this caused a delay to vulnerable service users receiving care.

The findings added why Frew's actions impaired her fitness to practice as a care at home assistant.

They said: "You entered a service user’s home when you were not scheduled to be there, while under the influence of alcohol and fell on the service user.

"You also failed to attend your shift and scheduled visits to service users and failed to adhere to your employer’s absence reporting procedures.

"You failed to be reliable and dependable, honour work arrangements and adhere to your employer’s reporting procedures.

"As a result of your behaviour, you caused emotional harm to a service user and delayed care being provided to services users.

"This put service users at a risk of harm. Your actions bring your suitability to work in care into question."

They added that her behaviour is considered "moderately serious and demonstrates poor judgment" and "demonstrates the beginning of a pattern of behaviour".

However, it was noted that in her previous 18 years as a registered carer her behaviour had never been brought to the attention of the SSSC.

Though the service regulator continued: "You have failed to engage with the SSSC and therefore have not showed developed insight into your behaviour that would provide reassurances that the behaviour would not be repeated.

"The public would rightly be concerned if the SSSC took no action against the Worker in order to mark the behaviour as unacceptable."

The SSSC therefore imposed a 12-month warning on Frew's registration - which came into effect on Thursday, June 29.

Further to this, Frew is no longer employed by the North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership.

A spokesperson said: “We are unable to comment on individual circumstances.

"However, we can confirm that this person is longer employed by North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership.”