A CARER has has been given a suspended prison sentence for working while barred from the profession.

Janet Sayers, 51, of Station Approach, Four Marks, appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday August 10, to be handed a 24-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting fraud. She was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Sayers falsely claimed a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate was valid, allowing her to work as a carer in and around Alton, despite a previous ban.

The court noted that she had a history of similar offending and was working with vulnerable people when it handed her the sentence.

Investigating officer Mark Ogburn said: “Although Sayers was given a suspended sentence, this still sends a clear message that the courts take this kind of fraud offence very seriously, especially where the welfare of the most vulnerable members of our community are at stake.

“Anyone who commits these kind of offences will be investigated thoroughly and could face a prosecution as a result of their actions.”

People working in position of trust often need DBS certificates to prove that they are suitable for the position and have no previous, relevant convictions.