A CARE home boss has been struck off after she swindled over £2,000 from a vulnerable woman.

Tracy Kolade, 53, helped herself to the cash card of Diane Harris, 61, when she was trusted to look after her money.

Mrs Harris, of Llanhilleth, Abertillery, had been a resident at the home and raised the alarm when she noticed cash missing from her account.

A fitness to practise hearing was told Kolade then tried to blame another staff member at Ty Heulog Independent Living in Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

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She later admitted fraud and was jailed for ten months in October last year.

In a victim statement to the court, Ms Harris said: "I trusted Tracy to look after my money.

"Tracy and I were like friends before and it was nice that she took me shopping and on trips out."

The Social Care Wales hearing was told Kolade made 12 separate cash withdrawals over an eight-month period.

She has now been handed a removal order after the panel found her fitness to practise was impaired.

The panel said: “We have concluded that Ms Kolade showed a lack of integrity, presents a risk of harm to individuals using services and breached a number of the fundamental tenets of the care profession.

“A Removal Order is clearly the only appropriate disposal in all the circumstances, and it is proportionate given the seriousness of Ms Kolade’s offending.

"It properly reflects the harm which Ms Kolade caused to the individual concerned and to public confidence.”

Ms Kolade did not attend the remote hearing.