'Sex toy' care home matron to continue practising
A care home matron who took a sex toy into work has been cleared to continue practising.
Sharon Talbot was given a five-year caution order by a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) tribunal.
Ms Talbot had worked as matron at Asheborough House Care Centre in Saltash, Cornwall until December 2011.
The tribunal panel said Ms Talbot's behaviour was due to an "attitudinal deficiency" and that she had shown "no convincing evidence of remorse".
However, it said all witnesses commented on her skill as a nurse and decided her actions were not serious enough to stop her from working.
Complaints that Ms Talbot accused the partner of a resident of stealing chocolates sent to him for his birthday, and shouted at a pregnant colleague while lying on her office floor and refused her request for maternity leave were upheld.
The tribunal in London cleared her of several more serious allegations, including that she verbally abused untrained staff members. She had denied all charges.
Ms Talbot started work as matron at the home in May 2010, and tendered her resignation on December 28, 2011.
The panel said while it accepted she had been working in difficult circumstances, she had partly brought those upon herself through her "own actions and attitude".
Its report stated that the primary issue was not a lack of management training, and that Ms Talbot would have been "well aware" how she should have conducted herself towards colleagues.
"The issue, rather, is an attitudinal deficiency on your part," it said.
"Having considered the persuasive and positive testimony of your current employers, the panel is satisfied that the risk of such an attitudinal deficiency arising in the future, albeit still present, is minimal."