A LOCHGELLY carer has been struck off after it was found he brought knives to work with him on multiple occasions and even threatened to stab another driver. 

Michael Neilson, who was working as a Care at Home Provider for Eidyn Care Limited at ACS Care at Home Limited in Lochgelly at the time of the offences, brought knives to work and carried them with him on shift on more than one occasion. 

He even showed a knife to a supported individual and in September, when driving with a colleague, threatened to stab another driver, saying: "Well I’d stab him first, you ken I’ve always got a knife or two on me."

After reviewing this evidence, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) decided that Mr Neilson's fitness to practice was impaired. 

In the fitness to practice hearing, they said: "Your conduct shows a serious disregard for the safety and welfare of the people you support and your colleagues. Bringing knives to work and showing a knife to a supported individual would likely have caused fear and alarm, and your conduct therefore placed them at risk of emotional harm.

"If the knives had been accessed by anyone else, there would have been a risk of physical harm. Supported individuals have the right to feel safe in their homes and your conduct risked causing unnecessary fear and alarm, abusing the trust placed in you by them and their families.

"Colleagues of social service workers have the right to feel safe at work and to be treated with dignity and respect. Your comment to colleague ZZ risked emotional harm to her and raises serious concerns about your values and attitude to carrying knives.

"Although there does not appear to have been any intent to use the knives or to harm anyone, your conduct in bringing them to work and carrying them was deliberate and persistent and created a serious risk to others."

While the SSSC acknowledged that Mr Neilson's possession of the knives is believed to stem from his beliefs and activities outside of work, they continued: "As a values issue, the conduct is not easily remediable." 

They also noted that Mr Neilson had "shown no meaningful insight into the behaviour" and were therefore not reassured that this behaviour had been "remedied."

They added: "Given the pattern of the conduct, we consider there is a risk that the behaviour would be repeated. If it was repeated it would place vulnerable people and colleagues at risk of physical and emotional harm.

"We therefore conclude that there are public protection and public interest concerns that need to be addressed."

Due to the serious nature of the offences, the SSSC believed that a warning and/or conditions would not be sufficient and a removal order on Mr Neilson's registration came into effect on August 2.