A BORDERS carer has been struck off from a social services register.

In a report issued on Friday, September 23, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) said that Julie Drummond, who worked for SB Cares, was “impaired on the grounds of misconduct”, and would be removed from its register.

In 2021, Ms Drummond appeared at Jedburgh Sheriff Court accused of stealing money from an elderly client.

However, she was found not guilty, as it was ruled there was no case to answer.

The allegations against Ms Drummond, heard by the Fitness to Practise Panel between August 29 and September 1, included an alleged theft of £135 from the home of a woman with dementia, referred to as ‘AA’, between September 14, 2019 to December 4, 2019.

Ms Drummond also faced an additional allegation of failing to notify the SSSC that Police Scotland had charged her with theft. However, based on evidence presented to them, the panel found this allegation “not proved”.

The SSSC decided that the “most appropriate” sanction was to remove Ms Drummond from its register.

On its decision, the SSSC said: “The Panel considers that a Removal Order is the most appropriate sanction as it is both necessary and justified in the public interest and to maintain continuing trust and confidence in the social services profession and the SSSC as regulator of the profession, as well as to protect the public.

“The conduct is serious and amounts to a significant abuse of trust.

“The Panel is of the view that such conduct is fundamentally incompatible with being a Registered Worker.”

Addressing Ms Drummond – who chose not to appear before the Fitness to Practise Panel – the Panel said: “The conduct involving AA was very serious and there had been no remediation and insight shown by you to satisfy the Panel that the conduct would not be repeated.

“The Panel also considered that there was a public interest in making a finding in the circumstances with a view to upholding standards in the profession, confidence in the profession and the SSSC as regulator.

“The profession’s most valuable asset is its reputation and the confidence that inspires.

“The Panel considers that the public would expect a finding of impairment to be made in the circumstances and having regard to the nature of the conduct found proved.”

Although Ms Drummond did not join the Panel held via video conferencing, she had communicated by email that she denied the allegations against her.

Three witnesses joined the panel providing evidence against Ms Drummond.

Evidence seen by the Panel included written testimonies and video footage.

The video footage was dark, however, the Panel said that it showed Ms Drummond in the vicinity of where AA’s handbag and purse were kept.

They said: “The Panel accepts that there is a lack of direct evidence of you [Ms Drummond] removing money from AA’s home.

“The evidence before the Panel does, in the view of the Panel, allow them to draw an inference that on each and every occasion when money was removed from AA’s home, on the balance of probabilities, you were responsible.”

This newspaper contacted Scottish Borders Council (SBC), which operates SB Cares.

An SBC spokesperson said: “We are unable to comment on individual staffing matters.”

The Border Telegraph was unable to contact Ms Drummond for comment.