Monthly summary – August 2020

Welcome to our monthly summary for August 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.

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Updates to our information site

Here’s a summary of the updates that we’ve made to the information hub. There are links within each update to where you can find more information.

Personal relationships

• Telling a partner, family member or friend about your criminal record – We’ve published new information to address some of the issues people face in forming new relationships or friendships and maintaining their existing ones.

theRecord posts

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

Success – Domestic violence against men: It’s no laughing matter – “I’m a 38 year old male student nurse. My life is pretty good at the moment, but things could have been very different. Rewind to 2008, I was in a relationship with a woman and we have a young child together. I was also the victim of domestic violence …..”

Struggles and stigma – I can’t erase my past mistakes, I can only learn from them to be better – “Every time I turn on the television these days the news is bleak – the number of people claiming out of work benefits has risen, the furlough scheme is coming to an end in October and more companies are being forced to cut jobs. All sectors have been affected; young and old, senior managers and factory workers, all looking for new jobs. What chance do I have – the guy with the criminal record …..”

Views and reviews – Facing possible rejection again – applying to Google to have links my name removed – “Back in May 2014 the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that individuals should be able to request the deletion or removal of personal data published online where there is no compelling reason for it to remain. This has become known as the ‘right to be forgotten’ …..”

Discussions on our online forum

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

Home insurance – There’s been a lot of activity on theForum following recent changes to some insurers policies on providing home insurance to people with unspent convictions. If you’ve had difficulty renewing a policy despite previously disclosing your criminal record, let us know.

Seeking employment – J has posted his concerns about finding work with an active SHPO and the difficulties he’s encountered due to the inconsistent interpretation of the restrictions by his PPU officers. What are your thoughts?

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.

Criminal records webinar on 16th September 2020

We’re running an online webinar for anyone who deals with criminal records in their work. If you help people with convictions who are applying for jobs, or you work in recruitment/HR and make hiring decisions, find out more about the webinar here.