Unregistered for 12 Years? EWC Finds No Record of SEN Assistant

A claim attributed to Carrie Anne Ridsdale states that she:

“Worked for 12 years in a resource base for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and learning difficulties/SEN as a classroom assistant.”

This statement was reviewed against the records of the Education Workforce Council (EWC) — the statutory regulator for teachers, classroom assistants, and education practitioners in Wales.

In response to a Freedom of Information request, the EWC confirmed:

“Nobody of that name is currently, or has been, registered with the Education Workforce Council.”

Legal Requirement for Registration

In Wales, registration with the EWC is a legal requirement for anyone employed in a regulated education role, including:

• Teachers
• Learning support staff (such as classroom assistants)
• Specialist ASD/SEN resource base staff

This obligation is outlined in the Education (Wales) Act 2014. The EWC’s public register is searchable online and serves as the definitive record of qualified, regulated professionals.

The EWC’s confirmation that Ms Ridsdale has never been registered is, therefore, in direct contradiction to her stated claim of 12 years in a regulated classroom assistant role.

Could It Have Been Unregulated Work?

The only conceivable alternative is that Ms Ridsdale may have been involved in an unregulated or informal capacity — for example:

• Volunteering
• Shadowing
• Casual, unofficial arrangements

However, this explanation lacks credibility for several key reasons:

• ASD/SEN resource bases cater to highly vulnerable children, requiring staff to be properly trained, vetted, and registered.
• Sustained involvement over 12 continuous years without registration would be highly irregular and raise serious safeguarding concerns.
• Most schools do not allow individuals to operate in classroom assistant roles — even informally — for extended periods without proper clearance and EWC registration.

In short: while short-term or informal involvement is possible, it is not credible that someone could genuinely work for 12 years in such a capacity without appearing on the EWC register.

Conclusion: Verifiable Contradiction

The EWC’s official response creates a clear and documented contradiction:

• Ms Ridsdale claims 12 years of experience in a regulated classroom assistant role.
• The EWC confirms she has never been registered.
• Sustaining such a role without registration for over a decade is extremely unlikely under statutory regulations.

This discrepancy casts serious doubt on the accuracy of her stated professional experience and reinforces the importance of verifying education roles through official regulatory bodies.

Sherlock