East Ayrshire support worker held boiling kettle over autistic resident and told them to open their mouth

A support worker who held a boiling kettle over a resident’s head and told them to open their mouth at an autistic support base in Ayrshire has been struck from the register.

Graham Dale was employed at Daldorch House, one of the National Autistic Society’s supported living services in East Ayrshire, when the incident occurred on July 26, 2024.

He was also found to have repeatedly laughed at, ridiculed, swore at and directed disablist comments towards the resident, known as ‘AA’.

Dale also intimidated and made as if he was going to punch the resident, repeatedly pretended he was going to kick him on the body, pretended to remove food and forced him to pick up food.

On May 27, 2025, Dale was convicted at Ayr Sheriff Court of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner towards the resident.

Following an investigation carried out by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), it was determined that Dale’s actions demonstrated a “deliberate, cruel, vindictive, discriminatory and uncaring” attitude.

The watchdog said the incident put the supported person at risk of both physical and emotional harm.

The SSSC has now struck Dale’s name from the care register and banned him from working in the sector as a result of the incident.

The report states: “Social service workers are trusted to care for the most vulnerable members of society. They must protect them insofar as possible and should not abuse, harm, or neglect them.

“Your (Dale’s) behaviour was motivated by prejudice relating to disability and brings your fundamental values into question. The behaviour was at the highest levels of seriousness. You have been convicted of an offence where you abused a vulnerable individual who uses social services.

“It was held by the Sheriff Court that the offence was motivated by prejudice relating to disability. The behaviour was directed at a vulnerable service user who likely suffered psychological harm or was placed at a risk of psychological harm. The risk of harm, should the behaviour be repeated, is high.

“The behaviour is not such that it is easily remediable as it points to fundamental issues with your (Dale’s) values.

“This appears to be an isolated incident, and no previous concerns have been raised in relation to your practice.

“However, you have not engaged with the SSSC investigation process, and you were only registered with the SSSC just over a year before the incident.”

Dale, according to the regulator, had shown “no insight, remorse or apology.”

The report adds: “The SSSC considers a Removal Order is the most appropriate sanction as it is both necessary and justified in the public interest and to maintain the continuing trust and confidence in the social service profession and the SSSC as the regulator of the profession.

“There would be serious concerns about the safety of any vulnerable people that you might come into contact with were you to continue working in a registerable role.”