IT was money that was meant to support vulnerable youngsters at a children’s home in Winchester.

But Bronte Smith used it to buy designer clothes, underwear and a widescreen television.

The former manager of the Milesdown Children’s Unit at St Giles’s Hill also ran up a £400 bill on her work mobile phone.

She did so by making premium rate calls to shopping channels late at night, her misconduct hearing at the General Social Care Council was told.

Smith, who did not turn up to the hearing, was struck off in her absence for dishonest behaviour.

She spent 11 years working at the Hampshire County Council-run home, and is thought to have earned around £40,000 a year as its manager.

At the GSCC hearing, it emerged that Smith would go shopping on the home’s behalf, but also loaded items for herself into the trolley.

On one trip this included a television, a Pirates of the Caribbean clock, Star Wars bedding and Ralph Lauren socks.

She also bought food and toiletries, and in total, picked up more than 50 items using money meant for the children’s home.

Receipts also showed knickers and bras from High Street chain Monsoon and a cashmere jumper were amongst her haul.

She was found out in August 2007, when Hampshire County Council received an anonymous tip about her activities.

The authority investigated, and Smith was suspended two months later once sufficient checks had been made.

In her absence, the GSCC hearing last Thursday found her guilty of inappropriate, misleading and dishonest conduct.

GSCC chairman Louise Rose said: “The committee considered that the social worker’s misconduct involved dishonest behaviour in breach of trust.

“It was a persistent course of conduct which took place over a period of time.

“While the committee did not consider that this was a highly-planned or sophisticated course of conduct, it was certainly more than merely opportunistic.”

She added: “This was repeated and persistent dishonesty in breach of trust, and the social worker had shown no apparent insight into her behaviour.”

Soon after Smith was unmasked, the Milesdown Children’s Unit was closed down and sold to property developers in March 2008.

Eight months later, Beechcroft Developments secured planning permission to build 23 homes on the site, chiefly for senior citizens.

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