Publication date: 29 May 2024

A Fitness to Practise Committee of the Education Workforce Council (EWC), sitting remotely on 14 and 15 May 2024, has found allegations of unacceptable professional conduct and a relevant offence proved against further education learning support worker and school learning support worker, Dee Jones.

The Fitness to Practise Committee found the following allegations proven, that Mrs Jones:

1. On or around the 13 November 2018, applied to the EWC to register as a school learning support worker and further education learning support worker and indicated in the declarations section of the application form that she did not have any convictions, when this was incorrect.
   
   
2. On 8 March 2021, applied to the EWC to register as a school learning support worker and indicated in the declarations section of the application form that she did not have any convictions, when this was incorrect.
   
   
3. On 9 March 2021, applied to the EWC to register as a school learning support worker and indicated in the declarations section of the application form that she did not have any convictions, when this was incorrect.
   
   
4. On 10 March 2021, applied to the EWC to register as a school learning support worker and indicated in the declarations section of the application form that she did not have any convictions, when this was incorrect.
   
   
5. On 23 April 2015, was convicted at Gwent Magistrates’ Court of two offences of ‘fail to disclose information to make gain for self/another or to cause loss to other/expose other to a loss’ in that she:
   1. between 5 September 2013 and 5 August 2014, at Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent committed fraud in that she dishonestly failed to disclose to the Department for Work and Pensions information, namely that she was living with a partner maintaining a common household, which she was under a legal duty to disclose, intending, by that failure, to make a gain, namely benefits, for herself, contrary to sections 1(2)(b) and 3 of the Fraud Act 2006. As a consequence, she was sentenced to a conditional discharge for 3 years;
   2. between 9 September 2013 and 10 August 2014, at Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent committed fraud in that she dishonestly failed to disclose to Blaenau Gwent Council information, namely that she was living with a partner maintaining a common household, which she was under a legal duty to disclose, intending, by that failure, to make a gain, namely benefits, for herself, contrary to sections 1(2)(b) and 3 of the Fraud Act 2006. As a consequence, she was sentenced to a conditional discharge for 3 years.
      
      
6. On 2 September 2019, was convicted at Glamorgan Valleys Magistrates’ Court of an offence of common assault, in that on 28 July 2019 at Llangorse assaulted Person A contrary to section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. As a consequence, she was sentenced to a community order 01/09/20, unpaid work for 80 hours, and ordered to pay compensation of £50.

Having made these findings, the Committee also determined that Mrs Jones conduct at paragraph 1-4 above was dishonest and lacking in integrity.

The Fitness to Practise Committee imposed a Prohibition Order, indefinitely removing Mrs Jones from the Register of Education Practitioners in the category of further education learning support worker and school learning support worker. It also decided Mrs Jones may not make an application for restoration to the Register of Education Practitioners before a period of 2 years has elapsed. Should Mrs Jones not make a successful application for eligibility for restoration to the Register after 15 May 2026, she will remain prohibited indefinitely.

Mrs Jones has the right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days.