An Edinburgh nursery worker convicted of assaulting a child has been struck off the social services register after regulators found repeated unsafe behaviour
The case of a nursery employee in Edinburgh has ended with formal removal from the professional register after a court conviction and regulator investigation. The individual, who worked at Pinnochio’s Nursery when one incident occurred, was found to have physically handled a child in a way that led to criminal proceedings.
The regulator, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), reviewed separate episodes spanning 2026 and 2026 and concluded the worker’s actions exposed children to unnecessary risk. The events prompted both a court conviction and a disciplinary decision that terminated the person’s ability to practise with young people.
Local authorities and childcare providers emphasise that maintaining public trust depends on clear standards and decisive action when those standards are breached. In this instance the Edinburgh Sheriff Court dealt with the criminal element of the case, while the SSSC assessed fitness to practise.
The regulatory outcome considered not only the physical acts involved but also the absence of appropriate follow-up care after an incident. The regulator’s ruling charts a path that places child safety above individual rehabilitation within the registered workforce.
What took place during the incidents
According to the findings under review, one episode occurred on May 29, 2026 while the worker was on duty at Pinnochio’s Nursery. The SSSC records state the worker shouted at a child, picked them up by their wrists, dropped them to the ground, then kicked and pushed the child. A separate event at St Margaret’s Nursery and Preschool in April 2026 involved the same employee grabbing a four year old by the wrists and pulling him so he fell to the floor. In that earlier episode the regulator noted the child was not checked for injuries and did not receive comfort after the fall, a lapse that raised further concerns about duty of care.
Detailed actions and immediate consequences
The regulator described behaviours that had the potential to cause both physical and emotional harm. In the 2026 episode the court found criminal culpability, leading to a conviction at the relevant judicial venue. The earlier 2026 incident
