“Brutal” Stenhousemuir care worker struck off register

MacKenzie was a line manager at Newcarron Court nursing home when she committed the offences

Jacuilyn MacKenzie (63), from Stenhousemuir, told a 78-year-old man she’d take photographs after he soiled himself and send them to his cancer-stricken wife. She also assaulted a 95-year-old woman and “wilfully neglected” a sick 102-year-old by refusing to let her go to the toilet in the night.

Her actions left fellow carers at the Newcarron Court nursing home, New Carron, in tears, and they blew the whistle even though MacKenzie was their line manager, Falkirk Sheriff Court was told back in February.

After summary trial, Sheriff Derek Livingston found MacKenzie guilty of neglecting and ill-treating old people in her care while a “relevant person” under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Scotland Act 2015, and of assault.

MacKenzie had been a carer for 40 years since leaving the army and her behaviour on these occasions was said to be “degrading and cruel”.

At the time Sheriff Livingston sentenced MacKenzie to carry out 90 hours of unpaid work.

He heard she had been suspended, then sacked, was now living on benefits, had been reported to the Scottish Social Services Council and would never be able to work in the sector again.

On June 5 the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) took the decision to make remove her registration from the part of the SSSC Register for Supervisors in a Care Home Service for Adults.

The SSSC report stated: “The offending behaviour is not behaviour that is easily remediable through reflection or training given the serious nature and the fact that it violates the fundamental values expected of social service workers.

“There was harm in the form of distress caused to vulnerable people as a result of the behaviour. There is no context or circumstances that mitigate the seriousness of the behaviour – in fact you were very experienced in care and should have known that it is not appropriate to treat elderly people in that manner.

“There has not been any meaningful apology. You have not demonstrated any understanding of the impact your actions had on the residents involved.”