A CARER who said he'd punch a vulnerable patient has been placed on a warning.

David Collins was employed as a support worker for the Richmond Fellowship, a mental health recovery group, in Glasgow.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) found Collins had reacted to being kicked by the vulnerable man, who is known only as AA, on June 12, 2022.

He told the patient: "Who do you think you are kicking? If you tried that out in the street, I'd punch your c*** in."

The registering body determined it was an isolated incident and Collins, who fully cooperated with the investigation into the incident, was previously of good history.

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However, it also determined he had shown "very little" insight, regret or remorse.

It found the patient was "likely to be caused emotional harm".

A report by SSSC said: "Your behaviour was serious. A social service worker is expected to communicate in an appropriate, open, accurate and straightforward way.

"You shouted at AA, a vulnerable person, and used crude language. Your behaviour is likely to have caused AA to feel distressed and intimidated. As a service user, AA had the right to expect that he would be treated with dignity and respect and protected from harm by a social service worker who he places his trust in to provide him with care and support.

"Your behaviour falls below the standards expected of you as a social service worker. You communicated in a way which was entirely inappropriate from a social service worker. As a support practitioner, you are responsible for role-modelling acceptable behaviour to a service user in your care.

"Shouting at AA and using threatening language was likely to impact on AA’s self-esteem and wellbeing. Your behaviour has brought into question your suitability to work with vulnerable service users.

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"You had worked with AA for a period of time and had built up a good relationship with AA. AA trusted you and would not have expected you to react in this way towards him. Your behaviour does appear to be an isolated incident and was likely to have been caused by a reaction from having been kicked by AA.

"However, given that AA is a vulnerable service user and requires support from social service workers, you should have addressed the situation differently and not use threatening and abusive terminology."

Collins was placed on a 24-month warning period.