Fife nursery worker removed from day care register

Paula McKinnon worked at Little Einsetin’s nursewry in Kirkcaldy and was the subject of four complaints heard by the Scottish Social Services Council’s Fitness To Practise panel.

At an impairment hearing in Dundee lasting four days, it upheld some of the complaints, and sanctioned her removal from the register for practioners in day care of children’s services.

The hearing considered complaints from September 2016 and August 2017 on McKinnon’s behaviour when caring for toddlers.

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These included an allegation from August 2017 that she grabbed a child by the arm when taking them to the toilet.

That same month, it was alleged she shouted “sit down”, or words to that effect, while trying to put shoes on a two-year-old, and grabbed them by both arms

It was alleged that in September 2016, she “picked up a child and placed them in a high chair in a rough manner” and said to the child “for goodness sake this is ridiculous” or words to that effrct.

On a date prior to August 2017 it was alleged she shouted at a child and grabbed them by the arm.

The panel accepted there was no indication of bullying behaviour.

However, it noted “a clear pattern of behaviour” and said McKinnon was “hot headed and volatile not only with children but staff members” – claims she denied.

The panel said it had also considered the lack of insight, regret or apology on the part of McKinnon.

It accepted her behaviour was “spontaneous” but added it “was not an isolated incident but a pattern of behaviour.”

It described her conduct as “well outwith the behaviour expected of a practioner in a day care of children service.”

The decisions of the panel on the complaints were made by a majority, with the chairman giving a dissenting opinion on each as she was not satisfied with the evidence put forward.

In its 2017 Care Inspectorate report, Little Einstein’s was rated as good for the quality of its staffing, care and support.