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For people with criminal records
For people with criminal records

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Baking the world a better place! Bringing about social change and reducing the stigma of a criminal record via a bakery business

As we all know, securing a job with a criminal record can be extremely difficult and those thinking about self-employment can often be held back by a lack of funding and sometimes the confidence to go it alone. Having recently come across The Barker Baker, I was amazed to discover that the company came about as a result of a course run by the Probation Service together with the passion and motivation of somebody who wanted to bring about social change and reduce the stigma of having a criminal record. Here’s The Barker Baker’s story.

Approximately 5 years ago Francesca received an 18 month suspended sentence for a fraud offence and began her supervision sessions with her probation officer. She attended the various courses she was expected to do but, unlike a lot of the usual courses offered by probation, Francesca was introduced to a course being run by Virtuous Bread.

Virtuous had received funding from Ex Cell and the Hope Foundation to teach six individuals, being supervised by probation the essentials of setting up a micro bakery. Francesca was one of six selected to go on the course.

After completing the course, Francesca knew that baking was her future. After setting up a crowdfunding page she managed to raise £467 from people all over the UK and so began her baking business. She bought mixing bowls, flour, a folding table, a gazebo, a table cloth and a clapped out vintage suitcase. Once fully kitted out she booked a space at her first market and very quickly sold out of all the items she’d taken. Francesca explained:

“Everyone loved the bread, loved my story and appreciated the hard work I was putting in to get back on my feet. Baking my first loaves of bread gave me a sense of pride and a sense of purpose”.

Francesca began selling her bread at markets all over Greater Manchester and began taking orders from customers. She soon had back to back bookings for months on end and from the markets, came wholesale and internet orders through her website.

The next major step came with opening of her first shop, The Barker Baker. Talking about the opening, Francesca said:

“We had the most incredible start to the business, selling out daily and being welcomed by the local community. We had everyone in the shop, from people who’d lived in the village for 70 years, to young couples wanting something to go with their evening meal. It was everything I wanted it to be.

One day we offered everything we had for free, asking customers to make a donation to charity. We raised a great sum of money which we were able to give to Mind.”

In addition to the shop, Francesca now teaches baking workshops across the country with youth offending teams, probation services, women’s groups and prisons. She’s determined to share her story and her passion and help people to shape their own futures. For Francesca, The Barker Baker isn’t just about bread, the baking is therapeutic and was the stepping stone that allowed her to feel normal, to feel free and to feel good at something.

“This time five years ago I was on police bail awaiting my court date to find out what would happen to me. Today I’m sat in my shop, my bakery, doing paperwork, ordering stock, organising staff rota’s.”

The focus of The Barker Baker has always been about bringing social change and reducing the stigma of a criminal record and Francesca is as determined as ever to give others a second chance.

Since setting up the business, Francesca has won several national business awards including the coveted Best Female Entrepreneur Award 2014 and Business Newcomer of the Year Award 2015.

You can read more about Francesca and her business in the Manchester Evening News or by watching an interview she gave to National Prison Radio.

 

 

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  1. Comment – Let us know your thoughts on this page by commenting below
  2. Information – We have some practical self-help information on self-employment
  3. Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions related to this issue on our online forum

No future without forgiveness – why the government should change the current filtering system

Phil never felt as though he’d reached his true potential due to his conviction for criminal damage. However, the thought that it would be filtered from standard and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks gave him hope for the future, until he realised that his offences weren’t eligible for filtering.

I was nearly 17 when I fell madly in love for the first time and just over 17 when she dumped me. As I was feeling so sorry for myself my mates decided to take me out for a game of pool and get me drunk.

Sadly, rather than being a ‘happy drunk’ I became a very ‘angry, sorry for myself drunk’ and decided to take my anger out on the window of the local supermarket. As the alarm sounded I started to run but, just my luck, the police just happened to be sitting round the corner and arrested me. There was little point in denying what I’d done so I got myself a conviction for criminal damage to go with my broken heart.

Since then I’ve never been in trouble with the law; this happened over 20 years ago. I’m married with a family and although I’ve never been out of work, I’m pretty sure that I could have achieved more for myself if I’d been prepared to apply for jobs where I needed to disclose my criminal record; but I never did. I guess I’m responsible for limiting my own career and financial prospects.

The only time I’ve ever spoken to anybody about my criminal record was when my kids were younger and wanted to go to Disneyland. I knew I’d have to apply for a visa from the Embassy and I couldn’t let my family down – luckily the Embassy granted me my visa and we had a fantastic holiday. The only problem is that whenever a new employer asks to see my passport to prove that I’ve got the right to work in the UK, I worry that they’ll see the visa and put two and two together.

In lots of ways, I feel my life is good but there’s always the nagging doubt at the back of my mind that I could have achieved so much more if only I didn’t have a criminal record. It was this that spurred me on to do some voluntary work. I kept expecting to be asked about my criminal record but I never was and, as time went on, I really started to feel that I was making a difference to the lives of the clients I worked with.

Then in 2013 I read about ‘filtering’. As I only had that one conviction which hadn’t resulted in a prison sentence it seemed as though I’d be able to have it filtered from a standard and enhanced DBS check. I wasn’t really sure if it was ever something I’d be able to benefit from as I wasn’t working in a job that needed me to have these kind of checks – I guess it was just good to know.

However, one evening when I was volunteering I got chatting to one of the managers over a cup of tea. He told me that I was doing a great job and asked me whether I’d ever considered applying for a paid job. When I told him that I’d never worked in that field and didn’t have any experience he roared with laughter.

What do you think you’re doing now you fool?”

He told me to have a look at their website and encouraged me to apply for the support workers role.

Knowing that my conviction would now be filtered off my DBS certificate and that I had the support of one of the managers, I decided to give it a go.

Wanting to find out whether I needed to apply to have my conviction filtered, I started to do some further research. I couldn’t believe it when I found out from the DBS that my conviction was one which would never be filtered. Apparently filtering was based upon the Act that you’d been convicted under and although the description of the Act (Destroying or damaging property endangering life) bore little relation to what my offence had been there was little I could do. In theory, I could have endangered life by smashing the window but the shop was closed and there was nobody around.

I was devastated that what I’d thought would be the answer to all my prayers had been so quickly snatched away. I’m now trying to decide what I should do; disclose my conviction and risk being turned down or withdraw and just continue to volunteer – I’m guessing this would look pretty suspicious.

I’ve been following the case that Unlock has taken to the Supreme Court with interest. If they’re successful I’m not sure whether I would benefit but in any event, there are a lot of people struggling more than me as a result of a very old conviction.

By Phil (name changed to protect identity)

 

A comment from Unlock

The case in the Supreme Court was really significant for anybody with a criminal record. Whatever the result of the case, we believe that the government needs to revisit its approach and accept that there’s problems with the current system. Sadly, the government doesn’t seem to think there’s any need for change. Perhaps that’s just the position they feel they have to take because of the legal cases. Only time will tell.

Useful links

  1. Comment – Let us know your thoughts on this post by commenting below
  2. Information – We have some practical self-help information on filtering
  3. Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions related to this on our online forum.

 

No pain, no gain – Don’t let your embarrassment about the past stop you from disclosing to a new employer

Having received two convictions for common assault, Stuart always worried that potential employers would see him as a violent thug rather than an individual just caught up in a disagreement over a restaurant bill. However, when a fantastic job offer came along, he had to put his fears to one side and disclose.

Almost 15 years ago I was convicted of two counts of common assault following an altercation with a couple of waiters in a restaurant whilst I was having dinner with friends. At the end of the meal there was a bit of a disagreement over the bill; we thought we’d been charged too much. A couple of the waiters started to become quite aggressive and despite only trying to defend myself, I was arrested, charged and received a fine.

I’m the least violent person you’re ever likely to come across – I’ve always taken great pride in the fact that I can talk my way out of a situation rather than turn to violence. Although I’ve heard people say “It’s only a conviction for common assault, don’t worry about it”, I do.  As far as I’m concerned it portrays me as somebody I’m not and I’ve always struggled to disclose it to an employer.

For several years after my conviction, I stayed in a job that I really hated; I was too worried about telling a new employer about my conviction so I just put up with it. Once my conviction was spent, I began applying for jobs which only required basic criminal record checks and managed to secure a role in customer services. I’ve loved the job and the people I work with but I suppose there comes a time when you start to feel as though you’re not being challenged enough and start to consider moving on.

The push to move jobs came about when I read something in the newspaper stating that the Civil Service were going to be removing the question on their application form which asked about criminal records. As my conviction was spent this didn’t really affect me too much but, out of curiosity, I went online and saw a customer service job advertised with HM Revenue and Customs. It sounded perfect and, full of enthusiasm, I completed the application form.

I knew my application had been good and was delighted to hear that I’d been invited for an interview. The interview was tougher than I thought it would be and 10 minutes after leaving the HMRC office I’d totally convinced myself that I didn’t stand a chance and had performed really badly. Fortunately, it hadn’t gone as badly as I’d thought and I was offered the job a week later. However, I wasn’t able to celebrate for too long. As I looked through the information pack I was sent by the HR department, I read that roles at HMRC were exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and I was asked to disclose unspent and spent cautions/convictions which were not eligible for filtering.

It was the last thing I’d expected and, as I had two charges of common assault, I knew that they wouldn’t be filtered and I’d need to disclose. I just needed to decide whether I wanted to disclose or should I keep quiet and turn the job offer down.

If the job had been with anybody else I would have walked away but let’s face it, a job with the Civil Service is pretty much a job for life. I was being offered a good salary, a marvellous pension and there were fantastic opportunities for promotion. If I turned the job down, I’d always wonder what might have happened if I’d disclosed.

Although I completed the form, it didn’t feel right just emailing it back to HR. I’d lived with the shame of my conviction for years and it was important to me that I was able to explain that my actions on that night did not reflect who I was. So I rang HR and arranged to go in and have a chat. I must have changed my mind 20 times or more about going along but, I kept thinking about the positives and pushed on.

I’m not going to say that the disclosure was fine. If you’ve ever done it you’ll know what I mean. Some times are better than others but it’s never a good experience. All I can say is that the lady I spoke to didn’t look too surprised and I certainly didn’t feel as though she were judging me in any way. She nodded in all the right places and asked me a couple of questions about how I felt at the time and how I felt now. I told her that at the time I had just been defending myself and hadn’t thought through the consequences of my actions. Since then however, I’ve had to live with the shame and embarrassment every day and, would certainly act differently if I were put in that situation again.

At the end of my disclosure the HR lady thanked me for being so honest even though she could tell it had been difficult for me to discuss. She confirmed that the conviction made no difference and the job offer stood.

Although I’ve not always followed my own advice, I’d tell anybody now that if you get a great job offer, then the 10 minutes of pain you go through when disclosing can definitely be worth it.

By Stuart (name changed to protect identity)

 

Useful links

  1. Comment – Let us know your thoughts on this post by commenting below
  2. Information – We have some practical self-help information on disclosing criminal records to employers
  3. Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions related to this issue on the online forum.

Denied healthcare due to my conviction for assault

Having spent many years in psychiatric units, Michelle is now a published author, motivational speaker and campaigner for better mental health services. From her own experiences, Michelle has discovered that some of the services she’s needed to access have been denied to her as a result of her criminal record.

I’ll try to be brief but it’s important that you get an idea of my past. I have various convictions and an extensive psychiatric history. I received my first conviction in 2006 before I’d been properly diagnosed with a mental health condition.

On that day, I’d taken a knife to my secondary school and stood at the school gates saying that I was going to kill myself. I was then sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

During the time I spent in mental health institutions, I was subjected to sexual abuse which has led to PTSD and given me my borderline personality disorder diagnosis. On release from these places, I was given very little support, something I still struggle with today as I don’t have a close family network.

Despite the above, I’m a really driven, motivated person and I’m currently studying with the Open University for a BA (Hons) in English Literature. However, due to my criminal record, I’m finding it difficult to get work; not even a voluntary role. I’ll be honest, my thoughts have in the past turned to crime, simply to be able to feed myself – that’s what the system does to people.

Recently, I’ve been denied therapy due to an assault which took place last year. At that time, I’d taken an overdose and gone to hospital. After treatment I was asked to leave the A & E department but I tried to explain that I needed to stay as I didn’t feel that my mental health was that great and I believed there was every chance that I could harm myself if I was home on my own. When the Consultant threatened to call security I became even more upset and punched him as I just didn’t feel I was being listened to.

Earlier this year, I went through a spate of contacting the NHS Mental Health Line for help. Sadly, it was felt that my call’s weren’t ‘genuine’ enough and I was dragged off to court again. Imagine being taken to court by the very people who were being paid to prevent people like me killing themselves – welcome to the ‘mental health service’.

As a result of the above, I’ve become an active mental health campaigner, hoping to change the system for the better.

By Michelle

 

Watch Michelle’s video

Find Michelle on her YouTube channel and read her blog here.

 

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Success in getting my Sexual Offences Prevention Order discharged

Graham’s SOPO was due to end at the end of this year but, he decided that he’d enquire as to whether he could get it discharged earlier. He was told that he could apply and thought that it would be useful to share his experience.

 

I was convicted of a sexual offence in 2008 and given a 10 year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

Earlier this year, I made enquiries at the Crown Court as to how I would go about discharging my SOPO. The Court provided me with quite a vague response and I was told that my enquiry would be passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Within a matter of weeks, I received a letter from the Court notifying me that I was due to appear there in one week’s time for my appeal hearing. I found this very odd as I’d not actually asked for my SOPO to be discharged; I’d only made an initial enquiry. It would appear that the CPS had no objection to my application and neither did the police, and it was therefore the police who made the application not me.

The advice I’d received from a couple of organisations stated was that if there were no objections raised, then the discharge would be a paper exercise and I wouldn’t have to attend the court in person. I fully expected to receive a letter from the Clerk saying that I wasn’t required to attend but I was wrong and had to go along.

Given that I had just one week’s notice, I was concerned about the process in court and whether I’d need a solicitor to represent me. In the end, I felt I’d be able to represent myself and, with both the CPS and the police raising no objection to the discharge, I really felt I would be pushing at an open door. However, I did take the precaution of writing a letter of submission to the judge in which I expressed remorse for my original crime, set out details of the courses I’d attended, pointed out my crime-free years since my conviction, how I’d worked in the community, and the fact that I was in a loving and stable relationship. This was posted to the Clerk of the Court for the judge’s attention.

My appearance in court was possibly one of the shortest on record, fifteen seconds maximum. I was asked to identify myself, which I did and then the judge simply said that he agreed with the CPS and the police and the order was “hereby” discharged.

However, he did add that as the order had been made in a Crown Court it must also be discharged there with me in attendance. This may be a new requirement but it certainly flies in the face of the advice given from several quarters that it would merely be a paper exercise.

So, for anybody thinking about applying to have a SOPO discharged, I’d give the following advice:

  1. If you’ve adhered to all your SOPO conditions then it might be worth asking your Public Protection Officer (PPO) about a discharge. I was a low-risk offender so this may have helped. Just remember that the police have to agree to an appeal if it’s within five years of the order being made; after that they don’t.
  2. You may be asked to attend court. I would have been happy to answer any questions put to me by the judge but, as the CPS and the police had no objections, I wasn’t asked any. If you’re not going to use a solicitor then it might be useful if you write a letter in advance to the judge – as I did – outlining why you’re requesting your SOPO be revoked. I cannot say whether this had any impact on the judge’s decision, but it won’t have had any adverse effect.
  3. The decision to terminate my SOPO five months early may indicate the pressure that the police are under and the tacit understanding that low-risk offenders are taking up too much police time. If this is true, then an appeal to discharge a SOPO may not be as fraught as you might think.

I hope this helps and gives more people the confidence to apply to the court.

By Graham (name changed to protect identity)

 

A comment from Unlock

This story will hopefully encourage others with SOPO’s to seek the permission of their Public Protection Officer to have their SOPO’s discharged.

Whilst you may have to attend court, it appears that the hearing could be quite short and cause you less stress than continuing with a SOPO which can impact on when your conviction becomes spent.

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Now I’ve got my professional indemnity insurance, I can start to believe that the best is yet to come

Bruce has worked hard to turn his life around after receiving a conviction two years ago. For a while however, it looked as though all his efforts would come to nothing when he was struggling to get insurance for his fledgling business.

 

 

In November 2016 I received a conviction for downloading indecent images and received a suspended sentence.

From the very first interview I had with the police, I couldn’t explain why I had downloaded and viewed those images as I knew in my heart that I’d never hurt a child in any way. I knew it was important that I got to the bottom of why I’d done what I did.

For four months following my conviction, I sold practically everything I owned to finance a course for people with sexual offences run by the Lucy Faithful Foundation. Over the course of the 10 week course, I came to understand how my use of porn to offset depression and stress led to an addiction to pornography and ultimately to my downloading indecent images. The course helped me to appreciate the pain and anguish behind the smiling images I’d been looking at and the abhorrent reality those kids were forced to live in.

There’s no escaping the shame and guilt I feel for what I did and the empathy I now have for the victims. In addition, I’ve had to come to terms with the impact my offending and conviction has had on my wife and family and I hope that over time I’ll be able to make amends and prove that I’m a better man than I was before.

Knowing why I did what I did allowed me to work through processes to ensure I’ll never re-offend again and start rebuilding my life.

Initially I was very optimistic; I walked out of court grateful for the chance to start again, a new beginning, a new improved me. The justice system and fate had given me the chance to prove myself and make a new future.

After finding it almost impossible to get a full time job due to my obligation to disclose my offence when asked, I decided to set up my own limited company. I could then do some of the contract work that was being offered to me.

I set up my website, organised business cards etc and began to set about marketing my consultancy. Four weeks ago I secured a really lucrative six month contract with a company, only to have it withdrawn when I disclosed my offence.

It was during this time that I also realised that it was virtually impossible to get professional indemnity insurance meaning I couldn’t put work through the company I’d set up. I never for one minute thought that getting insurance was going to be the thing that bought my business to a halt before it had even started.

I have always worked since leaving school and now more than ever needed to keep the money coming in so I could support myself and pay my way without being a burden on society.

However, now, no matter what I did, the requirement to disclose my offence stopped me from moving forward. As a self-employed person, I felt that fewer people would ask me about my criminal record and, having my own business would be the best option for me. The problem with insurance really started to make me panic as I didn’t know what I’d do when the money ran out.

After some further internet research, I came across Unlock and their list of insurance brokers and after ringing around I managed to get myself some professional indemnity insurance. It wasn’t the most competitively priced but it was affordable which was all that mattered to me. This has given my confidence a real boost and I’ve started to see light at the end of the tunnel. The requirement to disclose is still going to be an issue I am sure but at least now I have more of a chance to support myself and hopefully build on the foundations I now have in place for a successful business.

This is strange to say but the criminal justice system has worked for me. My increasingly introvert lifestyle and resulting unhappy home life was fuelling a downward spiral of depression and unhappiness that had me on a road that was only going to lead to tragedy. My arrest and the subsequent help I received stopped all that. It put me back on track, gave me the help I needed, and has led to a complete lifestyle change.

I now only ever use a computer for work and shopping etc and spend more time hiking, carrying out volunteer work for the National Trust and spending quality time with my family and friends.

I know one thing for certain, however hard it is for me now, it is still preferable to how I was before. As such, I am optimistic for the future and for a better, healthier, more productive life.

By Bruce (name changed to protect identity)

 

Useful links

  • Comment – Let us know your thoughts on this post by commenting below
  • Information – We have some practical self-help information on insurance and sexual offences
  • Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions related to insurance and sexual offences on our online forum.

When a warning for a playground fight turns into a life sentence

Little did she realise when she accepted a caution how much a playground fight would continue to impact on her life. Helen’s story highlights the reason why the Government’s current approach to the disclosure of old and minor criminal records needs to change.

 

 

Helen always wanted to be a nurse and was thrilled when she received an offer to study at one of the leading universities in the country.  It was going to be hard work but she wasn’t worried, she knew it would be worth it in the end.  That dream was shattered when the university revoked the offer. Was it because of her grades?  No.  She was rejected because she had a criminal record.  A danger to patients?  Surely not.  Like many teenagers, Helen had suffered at the hands of a school bully. One day, when she was just fifteen she retaliated and was embroiled in a fight with her tormentor in the school playground.  The police were called and she was taken to the police station. The police officer listened to her side of the story and seemed genuinely concerned.  He suggested that the best thing would be to accept a warning for assault occasioning actual bodily harm. That way she would be able to go home quickly, wouldn’t have the hassle of going to court and in any case, it would be wiped from her record when she turned 18. It seemed the best option at the time. That was fifteen year ago. She had never been in any kind of trouble before nor since.

Except trouble has followed her.  Because the police warning remains on her criminal record and was deemed reason enough to withdraw her offer of a university place.  After accepting her fate she decided a while later to appeal. It was the first of many times that she has had to relive that playground fight for a risk assessment panel or interviewer, each time as traumatic as the first because it takes her back to a really bad time in her life that people just won’t let her move on from.

The university made an exception for her; she worked really hard, finished the nursing course and started applying for jobs. Every time she had to disclose the criminal record on application forms and there were many times when she would hear nothing back, always wondering if the disclosure was the reason.  Eventually though she did receive a job offer. She had to write another disclosure statement which was read by many people – people that she would potentially have to work with.

Still, surely her troubles would be over now. Sadly this was not to be the case. As well as her main job, she wanted to apply to join the hospital’s ‘bank list’ which would have enabled her to do overtime shifts. After yet another discussion about the warning, her manager refused to sign off her application form stating that she ‘didn’t think she was ready for this’. Several of her co-workers (who had considerably less experience)  had been accepted quickly.

Helen is one of the lucky ones.  Many with these childhood criminal records never even get the chance to work in the career of their choice.  Yet Helen, whose record consists of a single warning, has a life sentence of sorts.

“Over time, I’ve noticed how differently I’ve been treated from my co-workers and how my manager rarely makes eye contact with me. Recently I applied for a job with another nursing agency and as soon as the agency had reviewed my references and my DBS certificate, the job offer was rescinded. I’m now at the point where I feel employers and agencies only offer me interviews to stop them being accused of discrimination. I’ve really struggled to move on with my life because something I did as a child is always hanging over my head. It’s been over 12 years since that stupid fight in the playground but, because my offence is a violent one, it will never be filtered from DBS certificates and will stay with me for life.”

Helen’s story is not uncommon. That is why Unlock has intervened in a Supreme Court case which challenges the Government’s approach to disclosing old and minor criminal records on DBS checks. If we win, the Government will have to change the system. We’re raising money to support our campaign. Donate now here.

Volunteering taught me to work for a cause and not for applause

Toby has been volunteering for a couple of homeless charities over the last few years and is really keen to highlight how he’s benefited from volunteering.

 

Prior to receiving my conviction I had a pretty high profile job which provided me with a fantastic lifestyle and the respect of my family, friends and peers. I worked hard and got great results for my clients and would regularly be ‘slapped on the back’ by colleagues telling me what a great guy I was.

That all changed when I received a conviction for a serious offence and spent time in prison. I lost absolutely everything; family, friends, home, job and respect. I deserved it of course and having nothing allowed me to re-evaluate my life and what was important.

Towards the end of my sentence, I was able to apply for voluntary work and was granted a temporary licence by the prison to go out every day. I volunteered for a charity supporting homeless people and I loved every minute of it. I didn’t get paid a big fat salary but I got so much job satisfaction.

I’ve now left prison and continue to volunteer – a different charity but the same user group. Last week my manager gave me some information about Volunteers Week which celebrates the work done by volunteer’s right across the country. This got me thinking about what volunteering has done for me.

Volunteering offers different people different things but for me it:

  • Makes me feel good – Volunteering makes me happy (there’s academic research to prove it). Giving my time to others gives me a great sense of accomplishment.
  • Has increased my connections – The relationships I’ve developed when volunteering have been endless and these new networks have kept my mental and emotional health in good shape.
  • Has given my life a purpose – People with convictions can feel very isolated but volunteering gave me a reason to get up in the morning.
  • Taught me new skills – Volunteering has given me the opportunity to explore new skills and interests that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to try.

So, if you’ve got a bit of spare time while you’re looking for work and with all the perks that volunteering can offer – there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t give it a shot.

By Toby (name changed to protect identity)

 

Useful links

  • Comment – Let us know your thoughts on this post by commenting below
  • Information – We have some practical self-help information on volunteering
  • Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions related to volunteering on our online forum.

Changing my name has changed my life

From everything he’d read, Liam thought it unlikely that he’d be able to get Google to remove the links to his name. He decided therefore that he’d do the next best thing and change his name.

 

I’m a very lucky person. I come from a loving family which also happens to have a rather unique name; so unique that a song was written about it years ago. There’s not many of us around the world, so put my name into a search engine and sadly me and my 12 year sentence for a sexual offence comes up.

Within months of being released from prison, I realised that a quick internet search of my name would unravel the new life I’d made for myself (new town, job, friends, relationship and church). My probation officer made sure that people who needed to know about my offending knew about it but, everybody else was in the dark and I wanted to keep it that way. However, with my very unique name the more I put myself out there and re-joined society, the more chance there was that somebody would look me up. Sadly, I think it’s fairly common practice for new friends/employers to run your name through a search engine – we’re all nosy like that.

So, I elected to change my name. Not my first name as loads of people knew me by that, so if some people called me John and some called me Tom that could lead to some difficult questions. But, my last name had to go even though it was going to be a wrench.

I discussed the idea with my probation and PPU officer. I emphasised that I wasn’t contemplating this as a way to circumvent their supervision or to get one over on the community, but only so I could move forward safely. They agreed, and asked to be told what I was changing it to and when. I then told my parents and asked for suggestions. We decided to go back a generation to a previous family surname. I did a google search on what my new name would throw up and there were loads of people with the name but no mass murderers or child molesters. So rather than my custody photo and the judge’s scathing condemnation of my crime coming up top, I could disappear into the woodwork of nice middle class strivers.

Actually changing my name was surprisingly easy. A google search revealed two ways; official and unofficial. The official way meant paying money, using a solicitor and enrolling my deed poll which would lead to my old and new name being registered in the official London Gazette which also happens to be listed on Google. So my old and new name would still come up – an amazing own goal!

So, I picked the unofficial route. I merely wrote my own deed poll and printed off a number of copies. I signed each copy in the presence of a witness and got them to sign each copy too. The witness has to be over 18, known to you but not a family member. No need for a solicitor or other professional.

A requirement of changing your name is that you have to fully live your life in your new name, you can’t have somethings in your old name and some in your new one. So starts the long process of sending off an original signed copy to banks, insurance companies etc. You can change your driving licence free of charge so I did this first which then gave me photo ID in my new name. I could then apply for jobs and open bank accounts etc. It took a week for the new licence to arrive in the post.

I also applied for a new passport. I chose to go to the Passport Office in person since it was quicker and I could explain my story in person and overcome any administrative issues. I’d asked for my PPU officers permission to apply for the new passport and again emphasised that I only needed it to prove my entitlement to work in the UK and had no intention of leaving the country, thus violating my licence conditions and become a wanted criminal on the run. As soon as my new passport arrived, I photocopied the ID page and gave it to my PPU officer.

I changed all my online accounts – nothing worse than getting an email to your old name. All the paperwork in my flat has been tidied away so if anybody visits they won’t see my old name on anything. I have a stash of things in my old name that I’m really loath to part with but I’ve buried them in a box somewhere.

So, six months on, everything’s in my new name. People can google me as much as they want and nothing comes up. I feel confident using my new name and making my way in society. All this was nearly undone by technology when a friend called me and I was in the car using hands-free. Blow me if the display in the car radio didn’t flash up my old name. I still haven’t found out how I can change it.

If you’re thinking of changing your name, you may want to use my checklist to help you through the process.

  1. Talk to probation and the police before starting the process and get the ok.
  2. Research your new name on search engines; choose a commonish name.
  3. Don’t pay money to change your name, do it yourself.
  4. Choose your witness carefully; they’ll know your old and new name and may google the old name out of curiosity.
  5. Get official photo ID in your new name first.
  6. Ruthlessly change all your online, offline, bank and other accounts to your new name. Just one letter in your letterbox in your old name could undo all your efforts.
  7. And – relax. Google is no more!

By Liam (name changed to protect identity)

 

Useful links

  • Comment – Let us know your thoughts on this post by commenting below
  • Information – We have some practical self-help information on changing your name
  • Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions related to changing your name on our online forum.

Responding to rejection – my email to a recruitment agency after being told I was unsuitable

Like many of you who are reading this article, I’ve just had one of those ‘thanks but no thanks’ incidents following an interview arranged by a recruitment agency. I’ve had these types of responses before and felt upset, angry and deflated but this time, rather than just accept the contents, I thought it was important to respond.

So, here’s my email

Hi Emily,

I just wanted to thank you for considering me suitable and capable for the role of XXXX for all the right reasons. I hope you will agree that I was precisely the kind of candidate that was ideal based on the tests carried out, my enthusiasm and my experience. It is just unfortunate that, whether it is [Recruitment agency] or [Employer] who makes these decisions, I was considered unsuitable for the wrong reasons.

Of course, your comment to me regarding why my application was rejected was incorrect. You, no doubt, were simply relaying the information that your manager gave you. In fact, what may quite possibly be true is that you do not employ anyone with criminal convictions – knowingly!

I think it is very possible that you do employ people with unspent criminal convictions, but unlike myself and a minority of people like me who find it virtually impossible to be dishonest (which apart from anything else, I feel is treating the person you are lying to disrespectfully) what you actually have is people who have not ticked the box that requests this information, a very small number of whom may be genuinely mistaken that their conviction is spent. I don’t blame people for lying, they are probably quite rightly aware that their conviction has absolutely no bearing on their ability to do the job, and for [Recruitment agency] or [Employer] to pry further into their history (apart from being quite possibly illegal) would be totally detrimental to themselves as well as the contractor/employee. They would be firing a productive member of their staff for, as I have already said, no good reason.

I cannot recall precisely whether you said, specifically, that only people with “unspent” criminal convictions were refused employment. Even if not, I’m sure that was the inference, as denying people with spent convictions employment without good reason is an offence in itself to my understanding. However, the actual difference between a “spent” and an “unspent” conviction is purely arbitrary as far as any employer is concerned. There is a good argument that someone who’s conviction has been “spent” is actually going to be a greater risk to the employer than one who’s isn’t. A person who still has restrictions and requirements for their action and behaviours has a lot more to lose by upsetting their employer, and there is no reason why an ex-offender will do anything detrimental towards the employer, any more than someone who has never had any involvement in the criminal justice system at all – they have solid experience of the possible repercussions of their actions.

In the jobs I have been able to get since leaving prison, I have been credited and commended by all my managers and supervisors, as long as they were unaware of my conviction (only the recruiting agency being aware). In one case my manager (highly uncharacteristic for him apparently) requested that I not only stayed with him when I moved to his next job location, but wanted me taken on full time by his company. For unrelated reasons I was unable to join him at that site (qualifications) but my concern was also that if I were to join his company I would have to cross a line of dishonesty. Being that he was clearly a bigot (something I disliked, but was willing to accept as being a largely generational thing) I am certain his attitude toward me would have changed should he have known about my conviction.

I just wanted to make these points to you, and for the sake of hopefully encouraging someone to consider these points should you ever be in a position to affect company policy decisions in future, or know of someone who is. It is just unfortunate that the law itself does not reflect on these rather obvious incongruities.

In closing, perhaps I can ask one question. If [Recruitment agency] do not employ anyone with [Employer] who have unspent convictions; is there any chance you know, or can enquire about, which clients of [Recruitment agency] do – and perhaps forward me your relevant recruitment specialists contact details? I would be most grateful.

Thank you

 

So, it seems that being upfront and honest isn’t necessarily going to land me a job. The advice I received from staff on the work programme was not to disclose anything to a recruitment agency, but to bring it up at the interview with the employer. This approach has definitely resulted in me being put forward by a couple of agencies for interviews although the companies involved then went back to the agency asking why my conviction hadn’t been disclosed previously. I now get the feeling that I’m not trusted by these agencies as they feel that I’ve been dishonest with them.

By George (name changed to protect identity)

 

A comment from Unlock

Our helpline is often contacted by people who’ve had very similar experiences to George. Sadly it’s all too easy for recruitment agencies to hide behind employers blaming their company policies for rejecting anybody with a criminal record. Although there are no doubt instances where this is the case, we’re fairly sure that some recruitment agencies just don’t recommend individuals with a criminal record. As George says, this will often lead to people not disclosing their conviction to an agency.

Useful links

  1. Comment – Let us know your thoughts on this post by commenting below
  2. Information – We have practical self-help information on disclosing criminal records to an employer
  3. Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions on disclosing criminal records to an employer on our online forum.

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