Edinburgh carer 'left resident alone while eating' causing them to 'choke'

An Edinburgh carer has been given a warning after they reportedly left a resident to eat unsupervised causing them to choke.

Huong Vo Thanh Dang saw a 18-month warning imposed on their record due to a number of actions carried out while working as a social care worker at Leonard Cheshire Disability.

Following incidents on or around June 11 2023, the Scottish Social Services Council conducted a review into Dang's actions and described the behaviour as "serious" due to breaching "essential guidelines".

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According to the review, the carer provided the resident with a ham salad roll to eat unsupervised, despite the care plans. It was found the actions contributed to or caused the resident to start choking.

Conducting their review into the behaviour, the SSSC chose not to strike the carer from the register, and instead imposed the official warning.

The review reads: "Your actions are considered serious. By failing to follow these essential guidelines, you caused or directly contributed to a choking incident, placing AA at significant risk of severe harm or even death. This is particularly concerning as the relevant information was readily available to you, and you were responsible for ensuring AA’s safety.

"There is a risk that this behaviour could be repeated. You have acknowledged your mistake, apologised profusely in your employer statement, and demonstrated some understanding of the gravity of the situation. However, there are concerns about your attitude and judgement shown during and after the incident, as well as your reflection, since that causes concern in terms of the risk of the behaviour being repeated.

"There is also a strong public interest in this matter. The public must be confident that social service workers maintain high standards of care, particularly when working with vulnerable people. Your actions have undermined this confidence, and this issue must be addressed to restore trust in the workforce."

A spokesperson for Leonard Cheshire said: “The wellbeing and safety of people using our services is always our priority. We note the decision of the SSSC relating to a former staff member who was dismissed in July 2023.

“The staff member, who worked for us for seven months was suspended immediately after the incident. They were employed as a support worker at the time. The local authority and care inspectorate were all notified immediately. We will always take robust action to protect the security and safety of people we support.”