This is pretty much what i want it to do:

Function CheckUserStatus(ByVal username As String) As string
Dim connectionString As String = "server='(local)'; user id='sa'; password='3156'; database='qualitivitySQL'"
Dim dbConnection As System.Data.IDbConnection = New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection(connectionStri ng)

Dim queryString As String = "SELECT [users].[syscreated] FROM [users] WHERE ([users].[username] = @username)"
Dim dbCommand As System.Data.IDbCommand = New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand
dbCommand.CommandText = queryString
dbCommand.Connection = dbConnection

Dim dbParam_username As System.Data.IDataParameter = New System.Data.SqlClient.SqlParameter
dbParam_username.ParameterName = "@username"
dbParam_username.Value = "cheese" 'username
dbParam_username.DbType = System.Data.DbType.String
dbCommand.Parameters.Add(dbParam_username)

dbConnection.Open
Dim dataReader As System.Data.IDataReader = dbCommand.ExecuteReader(System.Data.CommandBehavio r.CloseConnection)

dim result as string
result = dataReader("syscreated")

Return result
End Function

but it returns an error: invalid attempt to read when no data is present, the sql however returns a result when run in query manager