Edinburgh care worker sent inappropriate messages to colleague and shouted at client

Keith Leslie was handed a 12-month warning after admitting sending three sexually-charged messages to his female co-worker around February 2, 2022.

The colleague said the messages had made her feel ‘very uncomfortable’, coming after she posted a picture to her Instagram profile. Both were employed by Share Scotland in the Capital at the time.

Just days earlier, he was found to have shouted at a client ‘I’m fed up of it too, you can speak to SS(pseudonym) about it and I will be as well and I’ll be putting it in writing’.

Leslie was sanctioned by the Scottish Social Services Council | Google

Around February 6, he raised his voice at another client and said: “What’s wrong with a cold bacon sandwich, why can’t you have that?”

He added: “I’ve brought this down from BB’s flat, you can have this or cold bacon.”

In the first instance, Leslie denied shouting but admitted raising his voice at the client in question.

Issuing its judgement, an SSSC panel said of the messages: “While accepting that you are entitled to maintain your position about the messages being sent in a ‘joking manner’, the panel considered it to be an aggravating factor that you have not shown any real insight into the potential risk of emotional harm which arose as a result of your conduct, even a colleague with whom you were on friendly terms and had regular WhatsApp communication with.”

On the behaviour around clients, it added: “The conduct occurred over the period from some time in 2021 until 6 February 2022 and was of a similar nature, involving shouting or raising your voice at service users and colleagues, in the presence of service users and/or colleagues.

“The panel was satisfied that there was a pattern of behaviour which was an aggravating factor.”

Share Scotland has been approached for comment.