Bury St Edmunds children's home worker claimed £10,000 in sick pay while working second job

A children's home worker claimed more than £10,000 in sick pay from the council so that she could secretly work a second job.

Samantha Harris was working for a private care agency while on full sick pay from Suffolk County Council to the tune of £10,565 in pay and contributions, a court was told.

To cover up her dishonesty, she even sent colleagues a picture of a positive Covid lateral flow test to pretend she was too ill to work.

The former youth worker, of Pott Hall Road in Bury St Edmunds, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, after admitting a charge of fraud at Ipswich Magistrates' Court.

She was also ordered to do 15 days of rehabilitation activity and must pay the council compensation and costs totalling £17,205.

Harris was caught out after the children's home management team was contacted by the care agency, inquiring if she was on sick leave as she had been working for them.

The management team alerted the council's counter-fraud team, and separate disciplinary and criminal investigations were launched.

The investigation found that Harris had five separate sickness absences - including one of up to two months - and worked for a private care agency during each absence.

Though she had legitimate GP sick notes, it was found she had exaggerated the extent of her illness compared to her work for the agency, which was very similar and at times physically demanding.

Harris dishonestly messaged management and colleagues at the children’s home about how unwell she was during times she was on shift with the private care agency.

At one point she even shared a picture of a Covid-19 positive lateral flow test stating how bad her symptoms were, at a time when she was worked shifts in her second job.

Speaking after the sentencing, councillor Bobby Bennett, cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said: “Today sends a very strong message to anyone thinking of defrauding the public purse to think again.

"The behaviour of the individual was unacceptable and the vast majority of officers would never act in this way."

He thanked the council's counter-fraud and legal teams for their work, adding: "We will not tolerate fraud and we will rigorously investigate all allegations of fraud.”

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