A WOMAN from Bodelwyddan has been struck off the social care register after she was involved in a crash Christmas Eve after drink-driving.
Joanne Ryder, 51, of Rhodfa Criccieth, drove a Vauxhall vehicle at more than twice the legal alcohol limit on Ty Coch Street, Henllan, on December 24, 2025.
Ryder, who was a domiciliary care worker, drove with 177 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood in her system – the legal limit is 80 milligrams.
At a Social Care Wales fitness to practise hearing on Thursday (November 5), Ryder was handed an immediate removal order, which means her name will be erased from the social care register.
She pleaded guilty to drink-driving at Llandudno Magistrates Court on Monday, April 13, and was banned from the roads for 20 months and ordered to pay costs of £435.
Social Care Wales first received a referral about Ryder on October 2025 concerning her conduct during an overnight shift several weeks earlier.
In particular, her employer’s report raised concerns about handover, safety of the environment and medication administration.
Ryder said she had "little recollection" of the shift, but in her resignation email, dated, September 26, 2025, she apologised for the "hurt caused"
A further Social Care Wales referral was received in February 2026 concerning a night shift about a week earlier.
On that occasion, staff reported that Ryder appeared "intoxicated," with slurred speech, difficulty walking and smelling of alcohol, and that they saw a nearly empty bottle of vodka in her handbag.
She resigned prior to any employer investigation or disciplinary process, with a "strategy meeting" on February 12 recording a substantiated safeguarding finding of neglect.
Ryder was not present or legally represented at Thursday’s hearing.
Giving its reasons, the panel chairing the hearing wrote: "Although the offence occurred outside work, it involved a serious failure of judgment and exposed other road users to a risk of harm.
"Driving with a blood-alcohol reading of more than twice the prescribed limit, in circumstances involving a collision, represents a serious departure from the safe and responsible judgment expected of someone entrusted with the care of vulnerable people.
"We have no current evidence showing sustained changes in her use of alcohol, completion of the approved driving course, or reflection on the implications of the conviction for her professional responsibilities.
"The reports of other incidents mean we cannot confidently regard the conviction as an isolated lapse of judgement. Ms Ryder has not provided current representations or evidence of remediation in these proceedings.
"We were particularly concerned about insight and remediation given the pattern of behaviour."
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