A carer has been banned from the profession after stealing bank cards from vulnerable people and helping herself to almost £12,000 of their money.

Emma Roy’s behaviour was branded “dishonest” by Scotland’s care watchdog and a “serious and gross abuse” of her position of trust.

Roy was convicted in July last year of a series of thefts between May and December 2020.

Dumfries Sheriff Court heard she withdrew £10,450 from cash machines and fraudulently used a card to place £1,500 worth of bets with gambling firm William Hill.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) has now struck her off the care register following a fitness to practise panel hearing.

The panel ruled: “The victims of your crimes were vulnerable people who placed their trust in you to care for them and to support them to live independently.

“Your actions leading to your convictions represent a serious and gross abuse of your position of trust and caused people you were employed to support significant financial harm.”

The SSSC, which redacted Roy’s town of employment, added: “The behaviour occurred inside of work and resulted in significant financial and emotional harm to people who use services.

“You used your privileged position to steal bank cards from the people you were employed to support.

“You proceeded to use the bank cards to withdraw large sums of money. The behaviour leading to your convictions demonstrates a serious and persistent pattern of financial dishonesty, which raises significant concerns about your underlying values.”

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The SSSC noted that Roy had been registered since December 2017 and there had been no previous concerns brought to its attention.

However, the panel said it was concerned that she had failed to demonstrate any insight, regret or remorse over her behaviour.

The watchdog said a removal order was the “most appropriate sanction” to maintain the “continuing trust and confidence in the social service profession and the SSSC as the regulator of the profession.”

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