Case Studies

In 2009 Julian was convicted of ABH and received a community order together with a £1,000 compensation order which he paid immediately. After waiting the 5 years for his conviction to become spent (this was prior to the changes to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act in 2014) Julian applied to Disclosure Scotland (who were responsible […]

Toby contacted our helpline for some advice regarding a restraining order which he’d received in 2010. He explained that he had originally been given an ‘indefinite’ order which his solicitor considered to be excessive. An application was made to the Court to amend the order whereupon it was changed to 2 years. Since then Toby […]

Case of Lauren – consecutive sentences can never become spent Lauren contacted us for help understanding when her convictions would become spent. She was convicted of two separate offences related to the same incident, all dealt with in the same court proceedings. She was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for cultivating […]

Ian started work with his professional services firm in the early 1990s back when few employers asked about criminal records. Over the years he developed his skills and was now responsible for managing the office and billing. Ian planned to work there until retirement. In 2019, the firm introduced new HR systems and retrospectively carried […]

Amir applied for a job in the training department of one of the big four accounting firms. After a telephone interview, assessment centre and face-to-face interview Amir was selected over the 18 other candidates. He was overjoyed, as he had worked hard over the last 12 years to build the skills and qualifications needed for […]

Sean contacted our helpline for some advice in answering a vetting form which he’d been given by a potential employer. Sean explained that he’d been working for the company as a contractor but was in the process of transferring to being a permanent member of staff. He’d been asked to complete a vetting form which […]

Mehmet contacted our helpline following an application he’d made for a volunteering role with a well-known charity. Mehmet explained that having recently been accepted by the charity as a volunteer he’d just been told that he would need to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check prior to starting his training. He was concerned […]

Charles contacted our helpline following a job offer he’d received for a university lecturer’s job in China. He’d been told that he would need to provide a police certificate in order to get a work visa and he wanted to know whether his two convictions would be disclosed. When our advisor explained that the convictions […]

Arthur was disappointed to hear that a recruitment agency he’d tried to register with had refused to put him on their books due to his criminal record. He had used the guidance the agency had provided which stated that any prison sentence of over 2.5 years would never be spent and, as he’d received a […]

Knowing when and who to share details of your criminal record with is very often a difficult decision to make, but even more so when you have been convicted of a sexual offence. The only person Luca had spoken to about his conviction was his probation officer who’d told him that as he’d been convicted […]

Like many people who receive a conviction, Michaela was ashamed and embarrassed that she had a criminal record. Her conviction led to the loss of her job and her home and although her family and friends had been very supportive, she’d cut herself off from many of them leaving her feeling alone and isolated. Michaela […]

When Ruby’s son was arrested and charged with a criminal offence she was surprised by the lack of information that was available. Although her son’s solicitor was able to provide plenty of advice about the court case and the sentence he was likely to receive, he knew very little about the ongoing effects of a […]

During his time in prison, Alan had done all he could to make himself more employable upon release. Knowing that it would be extremely difficult to find work with a conviction which was never spent, Alan did an NVQ course in plumbing as well as attending self-employment and business start-up courses in prison. Upon release, […]

Fabiola had several convictions which she’d received during a particularly difficult period in her life. Although she’d been to college and changed her life considerably, she was still finding it difficult to find a job that had decent prospects and opportunities to progress. After being turned down for yet another job, Fabiola contacted the Unlock […]

Our helpline was contacted recently by an individual who had some concerns about the questions being asked relating to criminal records on a homeless accommodation provider’s job application form. The individual had been applying to be an administrative assistant and, having seen the job description, assumed that the role would be eligible for a basic […]

Thea contacted our helpline for some advice in completing a university application form. Thea explained that she had two old cautions which were eligible for filtering (and so would not appear on her enhanced DBS certificate). However, the wording of the university’s statement and question on their application form implied that she needed to disclose […]