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For people with criminal records
For people with criminal records

Author: Debbie Sadler

Job vacancy at Unlock – Fundraising Manager – Trusts and Foundations

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional individual with proven experience to join our small and successful, national charity as our Fundraising Manager. The purpose of the job is to research and identify trust and foundation funding opportunities for Unlock and maximise immediate and long-term income.

The successful candidate will work with the co-directors to develop current and future project plans and write compelling proposals/applications to secure significant income from trusts and foundations. They will co-ordinate input from across relevant team members and collate internal data to write and deliver timely and accurate funder reports. They will help build and maintain strategic relationships with funders and lead on donor communications across various channels.

Our ideal candidate will have experience as a professional fundraiser with a proven success in securing funds through an application process. They will have excellent written and spoken communication skills, a strong track record of grant income generation and a commitment to Unlock’s mission. They will need to be self-motivated, able to work with minimal supervision and committed to working as part of a small and friendly team based at our office in Maidstone.

Salary and hours

  • Contract: Part-time, permanent.
  • Hours of work: 22.5 hours (equivalent 3 days) per week spread across 3 -5 days, Monday to Friday. There may be potential to increase hours as Unlock develops new projects.
  • Salary: £17,020 per annum (£28,366 full-time equivalent).
  • Based at: Based at our Maidstone office, the post-holder may work flexibly either in the office or from home with a minimum of one office day per week).

Unlock

We are an independent, highly respected social inclusion charity based in Kent. Established in 2000, we provide information, advice and support to individuals dealing with the ongoing effects of a criminal record. Our knowledge and insight help us to work with government, employers and others, to change policies and practices to create a fairer and more inclusive society so that people with criminal records can move on in their lives.

Unlock is an equal opportunities organisation and committed to increasing diversity. Applications from candidates who are BAME, have a disability or who are from a less privileged background are particularly encouraged. We warmly welcome applications from all suitably skilled people regardless of background and we are especially keen to appoint people who have themselves met with and overcome the disadvantages of having a criminal record.

To apply

Download the job recruitment pack and application form.

Closing date for applications is Thursday 30 April 2020.

Interviews will be held in Maidstone on Monday 18 May 2020.

Email admin@unlock.org.uk or call 01622 230705 if you have any queries.

The Ministry of Justice are piloting a new ‘disclosure checker’ and want your feedback

It’s been over 8 years since Unlock’s Disclosure Calculator first went live and, in the last four years alone, over 200,000 people have used it to work out when a conviction becomes spent.

In 2017, we welcomed a government commitment to “update guidance for ex-offenders to ensure that it is clear, consistent and easily accessible” and, as part of that work, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has been developing their own tool.

Unlock’s Christopher Stacey has blogged about the MoJ’s tool.

The MoJ are now seeking feedback on their ‘disclosure checker‘ which they’ve started to pilot.

Currently, it can only calculate single convictions and can’t work out the spent date of motoring convictions. However, over time it’s hoped that the ‘checker’ will have the capacity to deal with these two important aspects.

The MoJ are keen to get as much feedback as possible to help them to find out what is working well and what, if anything, needs to be improved. We would encourage as many people as possible to use the checker and then provide feedback by emailing disclosure.checker@digital.justice.gov.uk. You can also let us know what you think by emailing feedback@unlock.org.uk.

Monthly summary – February 2020

Welcome to our monthly summary for February 2020.

This provides a summary of:

  1. the latest updates to our self-help information site for people with convictions
  2. recent posts to our online magazine, theRecord
  3. discussions on our online forum
  4. other news and developments that might be of interest to people with a criminal record.

Have you stumbled across this? You can receive these updates to your inbox every month for free by signing up to our mailing list (make sure you choose to receive ‘news for people with convictions’)

Updates to our information site

Here’s a summary of updates that we’ve made recently to the information hub. There are links within each update to where you can find more information about the update. There are also links next to many of the updates, which links to threads on our online forum where you can discuss these with other people.

About criminal records

  • Using the General Data Protection Regulation to protect your personal data – We’ve written an advice post highlighting what employers need to have in place before collecting criminal record data from job applicants and, what you can do if, having supplied this information to an employer, your application is unsuccessful.
  • GDPR and data protection – Guide for individuals – We’ve updated this page to include some frequently asked questions.
  • Police certificates – This page has been updated to reflect the price increase for police certificates. The cost of an International Child Protection Certificate (for working overseas) has also increased by £15 to £75.

Criminal record checks for employment

  • Basic criminal record checks – We’ve included a new section on this page which sets out details of how employers can now pay the DBS directly for basic check for their employees.

Insurance

  • List of insurance brokers – Our list of insurance brokers that provide specialist insurance to people with convictions has been updated.

theRecord posts

Below are links to recent posts on our online magazine, theRecord. These are often linked to the practical information that we have to help give some personal experiences.

Success – A journey from entering the Koestler Awards to studying at the Royal Drawing School – “I found my creative side about 12 years ago whilst I was serving a six-year sentence in a young offender institution. I was locked up for 23 hours a day, in a single cell, in HMYOI Brinsford and had minimal contact with anyone outside of the prison walls. But, I did have a pencil, and after seeing other people’s artwork on the wing, I began to draw on any odd scraps of paper that I could acquire …..”

Struggles and stigma – If employers aren’t willing to give people with convictions a second chance how can we ever prove that we’ve changed – “In 2016, I was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for a violent and sexual offence. This means that as things stand, my conviction will never become spent …..”

Success – My life has been enriched since challenging my SOPO – “Back in 2009 I was convicted of a downloading offence which resulted in a community sentence and an indefinite SOPO. In the years following my conviction I started to rebuild my life and was doing very well working in finance as well as doing some freelance writing on the side until one of my colleagues found out about my conviction …..”

Discussions on our online forum

Below are links to recent posts to our online forum. If you’d like to join in the discussion but are not currently a forum member, find out how you can join here.

How to disclose to friends and family after arrest? – Following his arrest last year, lotsofquer is keen to hear how others disclosed their conviction to friends and family. Can you help.

Differing recruitment polices and standards of risk assessment – 30sell is keen to hear about people’s experiences of applying for voluntary roles with non-profit making organisations. You can post any comments here.

Other news and developments

Below are links to other news and developments that might be of interest to people with a criminal record. For more news, check out the news and media section of our main website.

Unlock speaks to Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour about the launch of its #Fairchecks campaign

Following the launch of the #FairChecks movement, Unlock’s policy and practice lead, Rachel Tynan, spoke to Radio 4’s Jenni Murray about the need for the movement and how people can support the campaign.

Unlock raises concerns as Charity Commission grants just six criminal conviction waivers

Unlock’s co-director, Christopher Stacey has called for the Charity Commission to publish an independent review on their decision making process after an article on the Civil Society website highlighted how the Commission has refused more than half the applications it has received from people with convictions wishing to serve as trustees or senior managers.

New trustees appointed to Unlock

Unlock have recently appointed four new trustees to join its board. Find out more about them here.

Monthly update – February 2020

We’ve just published our update for February 2020.

This months update includes:

  1. A new post on how the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) helps individuals protect their personal data and why it’s important to ask employers to delete any criminal record data which they should no longer lawfully hold.
  2. A personal story from an individual who successfully challenged a court order which was preventing his conviction from becoming spent.
  3. A link to a discussion on theForum from 30sell who is interested in finding out about other people’s experiences of applying for voluntary roles with non-profit organisations.
  4. A post from Christopher Stacey, Unlock’s co-director asking for the Charity Commission to publish an independent review of their decision making process as half of the applications it has received from people with convictions wishing to serve as trustees or senior managers have been refused. 
  5. Details of the four new trustees who joined the Unlock board this month.

 

The full update provides a summary of:

  1. the latest updates to our self-help information site for people with convictions
  2. recent posts to our online magazine, theRecord
  3. discussions on our online forum
  4. other news and developments that might be of interest to individuals with a criminal record.

Read the February 2020 update in full.

Best wishes,

Unlock

Notes

Using the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to protect your personal data.

From the outset of the recruitment process, employers will ask you to share a lot of personal data to enable them to contact you and assess your suitability for a role.

It has become common practice for employers to ask prospective employees about their criminal convictions and many will also carry out formal criminal record checks.

If you’re being asked to disclose details of your conviction, then an employer should be able to provide you with details of the lawful basis and condition they rely on when asking. You should also be able to access a copy of or link to their privacy policy which should set out the purpose of processing your data, how it will be used and stored, the data retention periods and who you data could be shared with.

But, what should you do if you’ve given this information to an employer and your application is unsuccessful?

The information you’ve disclosed is extremely sensitive and personal and you should expect that an employer will handle your personal information responsibly and in line with the law and good practice. However, to be sure that an organisation is not holding onto your information unlawfully, you have the right to ask that an organisation deletes all information they hold about you. This is officially referred to as ‘the right to erasure’.

GDPR significantly strengthens the rights you have over the processing of your personal data and we’d recommend that you use it to your advantage by always requesting that an organisation delete your personal data if an application you’ve made for a job is unsuccessful.

For more information

Monthly summary – January 2020

Welcome to our monthly summary for January 2020.

This provides a summary of:

  1. the latest updates to our self-help information site for people with convictions
  2. recent posts to our online magazine, theRecord
  3. discussions on our online forum
  4. other news and developments that might be of interest to people with a criminal record.

Have you stumbled across this? You can receive these updates to your inbox every month for free by signing up to our mailing list (make sure you choose to receive ‘news for people with convictions’)

Updates to our information site

Here’s a summary of updates that we’ve made recently to the information hub. There are links within each update to where you can find more information about the update. There are also links next to many of the updates, which links to threads on our online forum where you can discuss these with other people.

Work and volunteering

  • ‘Do I need to disclose my criminal record?’ tool – We’ve produced a new tool which aims to help individuals work out whether they need to disclose their criminal record to employers if they’re applying for jobs which require a basic DBS check or a standard/enhanced check.
  • Volunteering – We’ve updated this page to include new links to the list of useful contacts/websites.

About criminal records

  • Moving on: The seven criminal record stages – leaving prison – We’ve written a further article for InsideTime providing information on the key things people should be aware of at this stage of their journey through the criminal justice system.
  • Disclosure calculator step-by-step video – We’ve produced a new video which provides a step-by-step guide to using our online disclosure calculator.

Finance

  • Recently left prison – claimed Universal Credit? What do you think of the DWP’s guidance? – We’ve provided a link to a DWP survey which is looking for feedback on how effective the DWP’s guidance is for people looking to claim Universal Credit on leaving prison.

theRecord posts

Below are links to recent posts on our online magazine, theRecord. These are often linked to the practical information that we have to help give some personal experiences.

Success – Reflections on the last decade from a person with a criminal record – “Stepping into 2020, I’m sure you can’t have failed to notice the huge amount of people that joined in the Instagram 10-Year Challenge, posting photographs of themselves in 2010 and then in 2020. Don’t worry I’m not going to join them, because unlike Reese Witherspoon or Tyra Banks I actually do look older not younger than I did 10 years ago …..”

Struggles and stigma – Isn’t 45 years long enough to disclose a criminal record? – “I’m 65 years of age. Forty-five years ago, when I was 20 years old, I was arrested and received a conviction for two counts of possession of cannabis and was given a community order and a fine. My record has been clean ever since then …..”

Success – I had to face the consequences of breaking the law, why shouldn’t local councils? – “Last year I reapplied to go on the councils housing list as in 2017 I’d been refused due to my criminal conviction which was classed as ‘antisocial behaviour’. Not long after I’d made my application, I received a letter from the council saying that they were unable to process my application until I could provide evidence that I had no further convictions …..”

Discussion on our online forum

Below are links to recent posts to our online forum. If you’d like to join in the discussion but are not currently a forum member, find out how you can join here.

Differences in approach – newstart has set out his experiences of dealing with both probation and social services and the different approach they’ve taken to his reintegration into his family. Has anybody had any experiences they could share?

Universal Credit – paying loans, surviving – As a result of his conviction, khafka lost his job and has recently started to claim Universal Credit. He’s looking for any tips/guidance people can give him on surviving on benefits whilst continuing to repay his solicitors fees. Is there any advice you can offer?

Other news and developments

Below are links to other news and developments that might be of interest to people with a criminal record. For more news, check out the news and media section of our main website.

Winter 2019/20 Newsletter – What we’ve been up to

We’ve published our winter 2019/20 newsletter which provides an update of the news at Unlock in the last 3 months.

Launch of #FairChecks – A fresh start for the criminal records system

Together with the charity Transform Justice, Unlock has launched the #FairChecks movement which is calling for the government to launch a major review of the legislation on the disclosure of criminal records to reduce the length of time a record is revealed.

Blog – Join the #FairChecks movement to help get a fresh start for the criminal records system

Unlocks co-director, Christopher Stacey has written a blog setting out examples of why the criminal justice system needs to change and the importance of asking MP’s to get the government to review the current disclosure system.

Monthly update – January 2020

We’ve just published our update for January 2020.

This months update includes:

 

  1. A new ‘Do I need to disclose my criminal record?’ tool which aims to help individuals work out whether they need to disclose their criminal record .
  2. A personal story from an individual reflecting on their experiences since their conviction ten years ago.
  3. A link to a discussion on theForum around the differing approaches of probation and social services to somebody looking to reintegrate back into their family.
  4. Our winter 2019/20 newsletter which provides updates on the news at Unlock in the last 3 months.
  5. Details of the launch of the #FairChecks movement which is calling on the government to launch a major review of the legislation relating to criminal record disclosure.

 

The full update provides a summary of:

  1. the latest updates to our self-help information site for people with convictions
  2. recent posts to our online magazine, theRecord
  3. discussions on our online forum
  4. other news and developments that might be of interest to individuals with a criminal record.

Read the January 2020 update in full.

Best wishes,

Unlock

Notes

New step-by-step video for Unlock’s Disclosure Calculator

Our Disclosure Calculator is a web tool that makes it simple to calculate when convictions become ‘spent’ and no longer need to be disclosed to employers and insurers.

Feedback from users highlighted that our calculator user guide could be improved with the use of images to help individuals navigate their way through the Disclosure Calculator form. With this in mind, we’ve produced a step-by-step video which talks you through the various fields on the form which need to be completed to calculate your result.

Let us know what you think!

We’d like to know whether you think the video is helpful or if it can be improved in any way. Email us at feedback@unlock.org.uk.

More information

New tool to help work out if you need to disclose your criminal record

“Do I need to tell them about my criminal record?” That’s one of the most common questions that our helpline receives when people are applying for work or volunteering roles.

But it’s not a question that has a straightforward answer. The starting point is:

You only have to disclose if you’re asked”

But then it can get complicated. If you’re being asked, whether you need to tell them depends on (1) what type of role you’re applying for, and (2) your specific criminal record.

 

So to help with this, we’ve developed a simple tool. This brings together all of the things you need to answer the question “Do I need to tell them about my criminal record?” It also signposts to one of our other tools, our disclosure calculator, where this is needed.

Try out the tool

Let us know what you think!

As this is a new tool, we’re keen to get feedback. Is it useful? Could it be improved? Email us your thoughts to feedback@unlock.org.uk.

More information

New tool to help work out if you need to disclose your criminal record

“Do I need to tell them about my criminal record?”. That’s one of the most common questions that our helpline receives when people are applying for work or volunteering roles.

But it’s not a question that has a straightforward answer. The starting point is:

You only have to disclose if you’re asked.”

But then it can get complicated. If you’re being asked, whether you need to tell them depends on (1) what type of role you’re applying for, and (2) your specific criminal record.

So to help with this, we’ve developed a simple tool. This brings together all of the things you need to answer the question “Do I need to tell them about my criminal record?”. It also signposts to one of our other tools, our disclosure calculator, where this is needed.

Try out the tool

Let us know what you think!

As this is a new tool, we’re keen to get feedback. Is it useful? Could it be improved? Email your thoughts to feedback@unlock.org.uk.

More information

We want to make sure that our website is as helpful as possible.

Letting us know if you easily found what you were looking for or not enables us to continue to improve our service for you and others.

Was it easy to find what you were looking for?

Thank you for your feedback.

12.5 million people have criminal records in the UK. We need your help to help them.

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