Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Original poster

Criminal record and teaching

166 replies

Luckz66 · 13/09/2022 18:38

I am a teaching assistant hoping to complete a PGCE in the next year or so.

I misused my fathers blue disabled badge (parked in a disabled bay for quickness and placed the badge in the window as my children were fighting in the back of the car and had to calm them down) and have a court hearing this week.

Is it possible I could still become a teacher as I believe this is a fraud offence?

Thank you

OP posts:
Original poster
Luckz66 · 13/09/2022 21:14

Will it affect things like car insurance etc too?

OP posts:
thankyouforthesun · 13/09/2022 21:26

I know someone who had a conviction for drunk driving and some sort of fraud and he still worked as a teacher. It comes up on the DBS check which the head teacher sees then you get to discuss it with them, if they like you enough and want to give you the job. Certainly the person I knew had the opportunity to explain the circumstances of his convictions to the head, what he'd learnt, how long ago it was etc and the head took it into account and gave him a job.

Gingerkittykat · 13/09/2022 21:29

Has your dad lost his blue badge as a result of you abusing it?

happens if someone misuses a Blue Badge. Misuse of a Blue Badge is a serious criminal offence and your badge can be withdrawn if you misuse it, or allow others to misuse it. If anyone else uses the badge they may be fined up to £1,000

I'm glad you got caught since I'm a blue badge holder and sick of seeing disabled spaces being abused, I don't think you should lose your job for it though.

33goingon64 · 13/09/2022 21:31

Please declare the offense anyway when applying. It's not worth the risk of not mentioning it. As a school governor I had the unenviable task of dismissing a member of staff who hadn't declared a civil court order.

Kathsmum · 13/09/2022 21:32

Are you on a union? In the first instance I’d call them for advice . They can also help in court and how to proceed after .

DenholmElliot1 · 13/09/2022 21:35

moistmingemist · 13/09/2022 20:35

Can't you use it on behalf of your father ie. If you were shopping for him, collecting medication etc.

Of course not! Why would an able bodied person out shopping or collecting medication need to park in a disabled bay!

Kendodd · 13/09/2022 21:36

Hold on, you pulled into a disabled parking space to stop your kids fighting in that back, and you are being taken to court, prosecuted, and might end up with a criminal record? Fuck me, if that's all you did, this is massively disproportionate.

johsq20 · 13/09/2022 21:38

Tbh if this is a first offence and you're of previous good character you could end up with a caution or conditional discharge or something anyway.

Snowiscold · 13/09/2022 21:38

Kendodd · 13/09/2022 21:36

Hold on, you pulled into a disabled parking space to stop your kids fighting in that back, and you are being taken to court, prosecuted, and might end up with a criminal record? Fuck me, if that's all you did, this is massively disproportionate.

No, it isn’t. It’s completely proportionate.

Soontobe60 · 13/09/2022 21:40

Kendodd · 13/09/2022 21:36

Hold on, you pulled into a disabled parking space to stop your kids fighting in that back, and you are being taken to court, prosecuted, and might end up with a criminal record? Fuck me, if that's all you did, this is massively disproportionate.

If you read the letter, you’ll see the op actually entered a multi storey car park and used a cancelled Blue Badge - not quite the ‘I had to pull over at the side of the road to prevent my kids from killing each other’ scenario we first imagined.
OP, after parking your car or the multi storey car park to stop your kids from fighting, did you them park up in a regular parking bay and remove the badge when they’d stopped fighting, or did you all exit the car and pop off to do some shopping, leaving the car incorrectly parked?

Snowiscold · 13/09/2022 21:43

Why is the blue badge cancelled? That puts another spin on it now.

MaxmaraDress · 13/09/2022 22:19

As you are a TA you need to tell your employer if you are convicted.
You may find that you are dismissed, particularly if it ends up in the local paper and the school is named.

Original poster
Luckz66 · 14/09/2022 03:12

I parked up and put the badge in the window, got
out the car and was getting my son out the car. My intention was to walk to the machine and purchase a ticket whilst calming him down, leaving my eldest in the car while doing so. ( He is now being referred as he may possibly be autistic due to his challenging behaviour. )
I have always paid for parking and never used it before.

OP posts:
Original poster
Luckz66 · 14/09/2022 03:15

As soon as I was getting my son out the car I was approached by the investigator. I didn’t know what to say or do and didn’t realise the seriousness of using the badge.
As I result I could possibly lose my job in which I’ve had 16 years, not be able to teach and not be able to get car insurance etc. I can’t sleep and are totally worried about it all.

OP posts:
pompomdaisy · 14/09/2022 03:34

Everyone makes wrong decisions at times. You just need to be open and honest and say 'this happened and in the heat of the moment I made a poor decision. I've learned from that in these ways ....'

They will make a little record and off you trot. They won't want to lose you over that unless they are looking for a reason.

JourneyToThePlacentaOfTheEarth · 14/09/2022 03:37

I'm sorry op. Maybe see your GP to help with your sleeping. I hope it all gets resolved quickly for you

Pacca · 14/09/2022 03:42

'Heat of the moment' would have been pulling into a disabled bay to sort the kids out, then driving off asap.

Having a cancelled blue badge in the glove compartment ready to bung on the dashboard starts to look a little more...considered.

Original poster
Luckz66 · 14/09/2022 06:05

I didn’t have chance to drive off as the second I got out the car I was approached by the investigator.
Like I said I made the wrong decision and unfortunately it has major consequences

OP posts:
oopsfellover · 14/09/2022 06:18

It doesn’t sound like a very serious ‘offence’ OP (not as bad as speeding or going through a red light for example, which don’t get you a criminal conviction). I don’t know the legalities tbh but wonder if it’s one of those things that if you grovel a bit and promise never to do it again you’ll completely get off.
If it does get onto DBS I guess you have to be open when applying for jobs. My friend had a caution for common assault and is still a teacher.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 14/09/2022 06:35

Pacca · 14/09/2022 03:42

'Heat of the moment' would have been pulling into a disabled bay to sort the kids out, then driving off asap.

Having a cancelled blue badge in the glove compartment ready to bung on the dashboard starts to look a little more...considered.

I agree - I think that initially I thought you had literally pulled over at the side of the road into a disabled bay because your kids were fighting and you HAD to stop right there as a matter of urgency.

But now it seems you had time to pull into a multi-storey car park, park in s disabled bay, get the cancelled blue badge out of the glove compartment…

You say you didn’t have time to drive off as the second you got out the car you were approached by the investigator - but why had you got out of the car if you hadn’t intended to fraudulently park there? What was the point of going to buy a ticket before you’d properly parked the car? Wouldn’t you have just pulled into the bay, shut the kids up and then driven to a bay you were allowed to use before getting out of the car to pay?

oopsfellover · 14/09/2022 06:52

@TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross OP is asking whether a possible fraud conviction would prevent her from teaching, not whether or not her actions were justified. She’s acknowledged that what she did was wrong:

Original poster
Luckz66 · 14/09/2022 06:54

I got out the car to get stop my other son from punching the other one. I got the youngest out and was going to walk him to the machine to purchase a ticket whilst trying to calm him down. As soon as I stepped out the car I was approached

OP posts:
Original poster
Luckz66 · 14/09/2022 06:55

I know I have done wrong and seriously I’m constantly worried about it. I’m 37 and never have I done anything like this before. I’m worried sick about it all

OP posts:
Snowiscold · 14/09/2022 07:10

You haven’t explained why you have a cancelled blue badge, though, in your possession. There can’t be any explanation for that, can there? It’s not even valid for your dad. That makes it much more serious.

YomAsalYomBasal · 14/09/2022 07:22

An investigator? If it was a specialist blue badge officer then you were likely being kept an eye on due to previously reported misuse. It sounds unlikely that it was just a private car park attendant that challenged you?
Anyway you are unlikely to be barred from teaching for this.

Swipe left for the next trending thread