Monthly summary – January 2017

Welcome to our monthly summary for January 2017.

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 just stumbled across this? You can receive these updates direct 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 the updates that we’ve made recently to the theInformationHub. 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 link to threads on our online forum where you can discuss these with other people with convictions. 

Work and volunteering

• Working in the criminal justice sector and prison vetting – We’ve produced some new information which looks at the types of vetting you might have to go through if your job involves going into a prison, and how your criminal record may impact on your chances of successfully getting security clearance.
• Financial services sector – We’ve updated this page and added some new links from the FCA website on what information individuals have to disclose about their criminal record.

Criminal record checks for employment

• Eligibility for standard and enhanced checks – We’ve updated this page to make it easier to navigate and we’ve also included a link to the DBS eligibility tool which may assist you in establishing whether a role you’re applying for would be eligible for a standard or enhanced DBS check.

Insurance

• List of insurance brokers – We’ve just updated our list and added a further two brokers who can assist people with convictions to get insurance.

Information on the internet

• The Google effect – We’ve updated our information to include a section on what you can do if Google refuse to remove a link and the Information Commissioners Office agree with them.

theRecord posts

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

Struggles and stigma – The ongoing impact of my husband’s offence – being disqualified by association – ‘When I was 39 weeks pregnant, I was told by my employer (a school) that, as a result of my husband’s criminal record I was disqualified by association and would be suspended from my job as a teacher until such time as I was granted a waiver ….’

Success – Job centre advisors make sure you understand the problems facing ex offenders – ‘In October 2015 I found myself sitting in front of a job centre advisor desperate for her to help me find a job so that I’d have some money to buy my kids some Christmas presents and to put that all important turkey on the table ….’

Success – Unlock – the beginning – by Bob Turney, Unlock’s co-founder – ‘Have you ever had a chance encounter with someone that has had a far reaching impact on people’s lives for the good? I have been fortunate enough to have had a few such meetings but this one was particularly memorable ….’

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.

Disclosing a conviction after you’ve been offered a job – Wotsit39 has asked for some disclosure advice. He’s just been offered a new job and been told that his new employers will be doing a basic criminal record check once he starts work. He has an unspent conviction which he hasn’t disclosed and so far he hasn’t handed in his notice to his current employers. What would you do?  Post your comments here.

Eligibility for an enhanced DBS check – Frances has just been offered a job as a gardener in a school and her employers want to do a DBS check. As she’s not going to be working with the children she wants to know whether they can do this. Let us have 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.

Winter 2016/17 Activities Newsletter

We’ve published our winter 2016/17 newsletter which provides an update of the news at Unlock in the last three months.

Disqualified from being a trustee or senior manager

Christopher Stacey has written an article for Third Sector in which he expresses his concerns about the automatic disqualification rules which will be introduced later this year which will prevent some people with criminal convictions from being charity trustees and senior managers.