A SCHOOL support worker who dishonestly called in sick after travelling abroad to attend family wedding has been handed a suspension order.

The Education Workforce Council (EWC) fitness to practice committee met in Ewloe this week to consider seven allegations against Alison Langley, formerly of Ysgol Maes Hyfryd Specialist School in Flint.

Allegations included that on September 28 and 29 last year she was absent from work without authorisation, that she claimed to have been unwell on those days which was not the case, that she did not provide flight details to a manager and claimed she had difficulty obtaining those details when she knew she didn’t take a flight on the date requested, as well as that her actions had been dishonest.

The fitness to practice committee heard Miss Langley had been in correspondence with the EWC prior to the hearing to state that although she did not plan to attend, she wished to make a general admission to all of the allegations.

Proceeding in her absence - and with her having no representation at the hearing - committee members were told Miss Langley was employed by the school as a learning support worker at the time of the allegations.

Carys Williams, presenting officer on behalf of the EWC, explained that in 2016 Miss Langley had requested a five-day leave of absence for September the following year in order to attend a family wedding in Cyprus.

Miss Langley was authorised to take part of the week she had requested off - September 25, 26 and 27 of 2017 - due to a change in the school’s policy which gave staff three days unpaid leave for family functions.

But the day before she was due to return to work following those three days she contacted the school claiming that although she was back in the UK she had become unwell and she would be off work for the remainder of that week - September 28 and 29.

Miss Langley, who worked in the school’s sensory department, then returned to work on October 2.

After a back-to-work interview with the school’s business manager Elizabeth Egan she was asked numerous times to provide details of her return flight from Cyprus, the hearing was told, but said her partner had been unable to obtain the details.

Deputy head teacher Noel Fitzgerald began investigating the absence, following which a disciplinary committee hearing was scheduled for November 24.

Miss Langley wrote to the school’s governing body prior to the disciplinary meeting to admit lying about being unwell and said she had still been in Cyprus when she phoned in sick, Mrs Egan told the hearing.

Miss Williams read out the letter to the governors, in which Miss Langley apologised and explained it was her brother’s wedding she had been attending.

In the statement she said she had been under pressure to travel to and return from Cyprus with her family and it would have been more expensive for her to return alone.

She claimed her actions had been ‘out of character’ and she had let herself as well as the school, colleagues and learners down.

Mrs Egan said: “I think she was known to be a very professional member of staff - there were no concerns about her before.

“She was personable and polite. It was a very sad day when it happened.”

Lorna Cairns, a receptionist at the school, spoke at the hearing to confirm she had spoken with Miss Langley on September 27, when she had claimed to have been ill but back at home.

Committee members agreed they were ‘disappointed’ not to have been able to hear first-hand evidence from deputy head teacher Noel Fitzgerald, who was engaged in an ongoing Estyn inspection.

The hearing instead heard a written statement from Mr Fitzgerald, in which he confirmed he was appointed to be the investigating officer after queries were raised about Miss Langley’s absence.

He explained the travel agent used to book Miss Langley’s flight was approached and confirmed information about flights would be obtainable by passengers for a period after they return home, which was contradictory to Miss Langley’s statement.

The other allegations against Langley included that her unauthorised absence was in breach of the school’s absence policy, that on September 27 she informed the school she would be absent from work for the following two days because she was unwell which was not the case.

It was also alleged that the facts of the other allegations constituted ‘unacceptable professional conduct’.

Richard Parry Jones, chairman of the fitness to practice committee, concluded all allegations had been proven, explaining: “Miss Langley positively and deliberately misled the school. She was in a position of trust.

“It is more likely than not that she knew she was not going to be flying home on September 27 and she maintained the lie on her return.

“She was initially paid for the unauthorised days but this was repaid.

“Her actions impacted on the school resources and learners. The committee considers she behaved in a way that was inappropriate and unacceptable and her actions fall short of the standard expected of a registered person.”

He added that as Langley had not participated in the hearing the committee could not explore any insight she may have gained following her actions.

The committee handed Langley a two-year suspension order which came into effect on Tuesday.

When the two years have elapsed, she will be able to apply for registration with the EWC.

Should she wish to challenge the finding, she has 28 days to lodge an appeal with the High Court.