A former director of a Coventry supply teaching agency was yesterday given the maximum 10 year ban from running or being involved in running an employment agency.
The ban follows the conviction of Steven Lee Bartlett of fraud and child sexual offences and legal action brought against him by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS), part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Bartlett is currently serving an indeterminate prison sentence.
Birmingham Employment Tribunal heard on Wednesday 28 August that Bartlett, director of Supplied Recruitment Limited, operated as an employment business, supplying temporary teachers to schools. He also carried out a number of temporary assignments himself to a school in Coventry as either a supply teaching assistant or a supply teacher, using fake qualifications.
Bartlett was arrested in September 2010 and was convicted in April 2011.
Jo Swinson Employment Relations Minister said: “This is a shocking case. It is appalling behaviour for any person to abuse a child in their care, but even more so when that person is pretending to be a teacher to fraudulently assume a position of responsibility and supply himself to schools through his own agency. It is only right that this person has been given the maximum ban along with a prison sentence. This ruling shows we will always take the strongest action available and this should serve as a warning to anyone who abuses their position or thinks they will get away with faking qualifications.”
Bartlett did not attend the ruling.