A Scots social worker has been rapped by watchdogs after taking a person he was helping back to his own home.
Thomas Young was working for Argyll and Bute council in Dunoon when he took the service user, only known as AA, back to his own house.
A hearing of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) warned that Young had failed to keep to the 'expected professional boundaries' of his job.
Handing down a warning and imposing conditions on the experienced social worker, the panel said 'the behaviour amounted to a serious breach of trust and professional boundaries'.
It is unclear in what capacity he took the person home or for what reasons, with the SSSC saying the 'exact dates' were 'unknown'.
The SSSC has said he must submit a 'reflective account' on what happened and tell his current employer about the situation.
The breach will stay on his record for two years.
A report on Young says that he was sorry for his actions.
It reads: "Your fitness to practise is impaired because social workers, in whom the. public and service users place their trust and confidence, are expected to conform to standards of confidentiality and uphold the clear standards of care associated with their job role.
"By having AA at your personal residence, you have failed to comply with expected professional boundaries.
"The behaviour is serious in that you intentionally set out to have AA at your home.
"While it appears that you were acting in good faith, this does not mitigate the breach of professional boundaries given the impact this had on AA.
"You were open and honest with the SSSC in your admission of behaviour and showed insight, regret, and apology. Repetition would, however, have the potential of causing harm to another service user in your care.
"This behaviour goes against your duties as a social worker and your requirement to protect service users from harm.
"The SSSC considered that a reasonable member of the public in receipt of all the information would consider the reputation of the profession to be damaged as a result of this behaviour.
"Social workers are expected to keep clear boundaries to ensure of the provision of services is appropriate and you have failed to
uphold this and so there is a requirement to reaffirm clear standards of professional conduct."
Argyll and Bute council was contacted for comment.
