Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
£19k benefit cheat ‘lied to get job at nursery’
Fraudster who was spared jail now facing misconduct probe
A WOMAN who was convicted of fraud worth thousands of pounds is facing a misconduct probe — over claims she lied to bosses to get a job at a Dundee nursery.
Janette Robertson, 33, is alleged to have falsely told chiefs at The Ark Nursery in the city centre that she possessed an HNC award in childcare and education, when in reality she didn’t have the qualification.
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), which is the regulator for social service workers, alleges that Robertson made the false claim between December 2014 and January 2015.
The watchdog also claims Robertson told staff at the nursery that, between January and February 2015, she had forgotten to produce the certificate for the qualification, despite knowing she had not achieved it in the first place.
The SSSC claims Robertson’s fitness to work in the social services sector is compromised by her actions.
In a separate court cause, Robertson had previously admitted to fraudulently claiming £18,304.09 worth of housing and council tax benefits to which she was not entitled.
She had also admitted claiming £1,000 of income support to which she was not entitled.
Both offences were committed between January 2010 and September 2012.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Robertson had claimed she was living alone, when in fact she had been living with her then-partner, Steven Peat.
She avoided jail for the offences, but was ordered to complete 260 hours of unpaid work within the community and had been placed on a curfew.
The SSSC has now alleged that Ms Robertson’s fitness to practise is also compromised by this conviction, on top of the claims of dishonesty in her nursery job.
She will face a fitness to practise hearing in front of a SSSC panel at the organisation’s headquarters in Dundee’s Compass House between August 21 and 22.
The watchdog says that if the allegations are proven, they will infringe upon several parts of the national code of conduct for all social services staff in Scotland.
If the claims are found to be true, Robertson could face sanctions against her registration as a social services worker — including being struck off, which would prevent her from working in a similar role.
When approached by the Tele, staff at The Ark Nursery declined to comment on the case.
However, it’s understood Robertson no longer works at the facility.
Robertson could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press.