Scots care worker issued warning after sending sexual messages to young person

A SCOTS care worker has been issued with a warning after being found guilty of conducting “inappropriate sexual relationships” with a young person.

John Cherry was given a 24-month warning by care regulator Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) on Saturday after sending the young person sexual messages in January last year.

Cherry’s crude messages – sent to the unnamed person after they stated they had been outside at midnight meeting someone – included “filling your mouth lol” and “practising your gag”.

Cherry from Irvine, North Ayrshire had been employed as a Senior Practitioner at Orchard Care in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire when he messaged the youngster – referred to as only ‘AA’.

The SSSC found that there was satisfactory evidence that Cherry had sent sexually explicit messages to a young person.

They said in their report: “On or around 29 January 2022, while employed as a Senior Practitioner at Orchard Cottage Care Ltd you did:

“1. send AA, who you previously supported as a young person at Spark of Genius (Training) Ltd, messages on social media, namely Facebook Messenger, after they had stated that they had been outside in their pyjamas at midnight to meet someone, as follows: a. ‘filling your mouth lol’ b. ‘practising your gag’

“2. in response to AA’s message, ‘Aweee he’s well cute’, respond ‘Me or him haha’ and in light of the above, your fitness to practise is impaired because of your misconduct.”

The panel found that Cherry’s fitness to practice was impaired, stating: “Your inappropriate comments were an isolated incident.

“However, you have failed to show insight and remorse for your behaviour and if you were to repeat this type of behaviour again then vulnerable young people in your care would be placed at a risk of emotional and psychological harm.

“You failed to recognise how your comments may have impacted on AA’s wellbeing. Social service workers should protect young people in their care from inappropriate sexual relationships.

“Your behaviour falls well below the standards expected of you as a Senior Practitioner. Your behaviour has the potential to jeopardise the reputation of the profession and the integrity of the SSSC register.

“Given this, a finding of current impairment is necessary to mark your behaviour as unacceptable and to uphold the public’s confidence in the profession and the register.”

Cherry was found to have shown no remorse for his actions, with the panel agreeing that a warning was the best course of action.

They said: “You have failed to show insight and remorse for your behaviour. You have demonstrated a disregard for the Codes of Practice.

“The behaviour occurred recently. Although AA was no longer a user of services, you only knew AA because of your previous place of work and due to AA previously being a person you supported.

“You failed to recognise the impact your behaviour may have had on AA. After referring to our Decisions Guidance, we decided the appropriate sanction is to place a warning on your registration for a period of 24 months and the condition set out below.”