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For people with criminal records
For people with criminal records

Tag: Seeking work -

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.

The differing attitudes of employers towards criminal records makes securing a job even harder

Having received a particularly negative response to her criminal record from an employer (despite having worked for them on a temporary basis), Christine was on the verge of changing career. However, a more positive approach at her next interview convinced Christine that although the job she’d applied for was the same, the employer was very very different.

My criminal record didn’t look great. Nothing more than shoplifting convictions but there were a lot of them. I imagine I’d be referred to as a serial offender. I won’t go into the details of why I received so many, my story is probably similar to a lot of other peoples who have issues with drugs or alcohol. Stealing became my only way of maintaining my habit.

I was really lucky and with the support of some fantastic family, friends and professionals, managed to come through this difficult time in my life and cleaned myself up. I went back to college and did a health and social care qualification and before too long I’d managed to secure myself a temporary job as a support worker through an agency.

Disclosing to the agency was the first time I’d talked about my convictions and what had led me to get them and it was a horrendous experience. Surprisingly, the agency didn’t seem to have any problems with my convictions, they were far more impressed with what I’d achieved since.

I loved my job working with individuals who were experiencing real difficulties and being able to work with them to address the challenges they faced and reduce some of the problems and risks. Not only did I love the job but more importantly, I was good at it and this soon came to the attention of the employer who offered me a full time permanent position.

I was told that I’d have to have an enhanced DBS check done but I’d already had one through the agency and I was absolutely certain that they’d passed these details onto the employer before I started the temporary work. It transpired that this wasn’t the case.

As soon as I received my new DBS certificate I handed it over to my manager and was completely stunned when she told me to go wait in her office. I’d not been waiting long when she returned and told me that she was very sorry but due to the results of my enhanced check the permanent job offer was being withdrawn and I would have to leave the premises straight away. I tried to explain that I’d disclosed to the agency and had assumed that this information had been passed on. I’m pretty certain that she believed me but the company policy prevented her from employing me. I could see that she was embarrassed and upset about the situation, but not as much as I was.

For the next month I did nothing, I questioned whether I’d be able to continue working in this field or whether I should give up and turn my hand to something else. After seeking advice from friends and family I decided to give it one last shot and started applying for other support worker roles.

I was offered a couple of interviews and disclosed my convictions at both. I’d be lying if I said it was easier than the first time but it had to be done and the interview seemed the best time. Within a couple of weeks I’d been offered a job. I’d told the HR manager at the interview that I had a recent enhanced DBS certificate and she asked me if I could take it in to her. She also explained that she would be carrying out a risk assessment at the same time.

Following my previous experience I’d pretty much convinced myself that the job offer would be withdrawn and I prepared myself for an interrogation. As I sat in front of the HR manager I could feel my eyes welling up and my lips becoming dry but she told me to relax and just explain my convictions in my own words. She didn’t ask me any questions, just listened and, after my disclosure I saw her sign the form in front of her and then ask me when I could start work.

By Christine (name changed to protect identity)

 

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 employers
  3. Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions on disclosing criminal records to employers on our online forum.

Changing lives for the better through the power of football

 

This story has been adapted from the original which was published on thefa.com website and we’d like to thank Pete Bell for giving us his permission to use it.

 

I’d just come out of Lincoln prison after serving three-months of a six-month sentence. I was 26 years old and had always been trouble free, but I’d got into a relationship which had spiralled out of control – central to that was a custody battle. I was drinking heavily, got into crime, and my son had died during this time. My world had ended and after my release, I was unemployed.

I can still remember the turning point now. After seeing an advert at the Jobcentre, I enrolled on a training programme with Notts County’s ‘Football in the Community’ scheme and after spending six months doing my FA Preliminary Coaching Course, I knew it was exactly what I wanted; I’d found what I should be doing.

I stopped drinking, was crime-free and embraced education and here I am 22 years later with 18 qualifications, significant work experience and having travelled extensively as part of my work. I didn’t start coaching until I was 29, so I had to play catch-up but I’d say that was the age when I first really discovered education and how it could change lives for the better.

I’ve now been an FA coach mentor, working across Leicestershire and Derbyshire with various grassroots coaches and clubs, for the last four years after spending the previous 14 years as a coach, educator and delivering FA Level One qualifications. I’ve also worked in further education and recently, university football.

Earlier this year, I visited HMP Oakwood in Wolverhampton to do a bespoke coaching course for inmates to give them a flavour of what it means to be a coach.

I’ve always felt that football clubs have never done enough in prisons, and I wanted to do some more work in that area. With my background, it was brilliant for me to be able to spend one day a week at HMP Oakwood for seven weeks, working with 16 guys. The first thing I said to them was:

I was once sat where you are”

I felt proud to be able to say that, given how far I’ve come in the years since I was released. That got them onside straight away and I went on to work with the guys discussing the role of coach, the qualifications and opportunities that are on offer on the outside.

I have just set up a project called ‘Step Out, Stay Out’ and with the support of the Ministry of Justice and my local MP, I’d like to deliver coaching and training in more prisons. It’s a massive passion of mine to change the stigma around people who have made mistakes and perhaps haven’t had the support when they come out of prison and end up in that vicious circle of re-offending.

Through mentoring and football education, I believe we can help people to get the same sort of opportunities that I was offered to make a positive impact on the lives of others in the same situation and also improve the number and standard of coaching across England.

I’m very open to hear from any individuals or groups who may be able to enhance my passion to help make a difference. Thank you to all who have helped me, it’s been tough and is still tough but I’m not deterred.

By Pete Bell – FA Coach Mentor

 

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Why can’t our past mistakes be left in the past? The ongoing impact of a criminal record

For many people who receive a conviction, the fact that it impacts on so many areas of their life can come as a huge shock. Sammy has faced discrimination from employers and insurers and believes society and government should be doing more to help people move on from their past mistakes.

 

 

Last year I received a conviction for ‘making indecent images of children’. Having gone through the process of going to court, I had very little understanding of the resulting impact the conviction would have on my life.

I was dismissed from my job as a company director, neighbours that I’d always thought of as friends ostracised me and, my wife and I separated.

I’ve learnt to deal with the humiliation and embarrassment of having to declare what I’ve done to family and old friends. However, the real difficulty I’ve found is that it’s virtually impossible for me to find work. I’ve never been unemployed but since my conviction I can’t even seem to get myself an interview let alone a job offer.

The majority of employers and agencies ask applicants to disclose any unspent convictions and although I understand that it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to work with children, my conviction is not relevant to the work I once did.

One national recruitment agency told me that they would not accept any job application from me because of the sexual nature of my conviction. Others have said it would be difficult to place me. I suspect that of the agencies I’ve disclosed to, many have taken the decision not to share my CV with their clients.

I’ve also realised how easy it is for companies to carry out internet searches on my name which means they come across all the details of my case. I’ve started to think that these companies will then conveniently bin my application form. The problem is, I can’t ask them if they’re aware of my conviction just in case I draw their attention to it – a vicious circle.

I was recently offered a post in a retirement village run by a charity. I wasn’t asked about my conviction at the interview but once I’d been offered the role I disclosed my conviction on the very first day of work. Sadly, the Chief Executive decided that I was a reputational risk and my contract was terminated.

I’m so disappointed to find that even when my sentence is completed I’ll still face a life-time of punishment by society and I can see very little prospect of obtaining any kind of job in the field that I’ve previously worked in.

For me this means that I can’t contribute to the family finances which have dramatically increased due to the need for me to have alternative accommodation. I can’t pay towards the upkeep of my children and I’ll be unable to help them out when they go to university or want a car or help to buy a house. I’m unable to pay my taxes and once my savings have run out, I will become a burden on society.

In addition to this, I’ve recently had to renew my car insurance but because of my conviction many insurers increased my premium and one insurer refused completely to give me a quote. I can’t make out how my risk as a driver would increase due to a completely unrelated offence.

I don’t diminish in anyway the severity of my offence or other sexual offences but society seems to have gotten itself into a state of righteous indignation about anything sexual. Of course I accept that offenders need to be punished. But there has to be an end date for that punishment. A record may need to be kept forever by the police in case there is any re-offending in the future. But how much of this should be held confidentially and how much should be available for public scrutiny. I might have an opinion on this, but I’m just a lay-man, with a conflict of interest.

I consider myself a normal, law-abiding citizen the same as any other citizen. I got caught up in something I shouldn’t have but it was for a very short period of time. It was out-of-character and I took my own steps to remove myself from that behaviour long before the police knocked on my door.

If there’s any chance of change, then government needs to look into the practices of organisations who impose less advantageous terms on people with a criminal record, even when their offence has nothing to do with the service/product they’re looking for. We’ve paid the price for our mistakes, can’t we now just be left to move on.

By Sammy (name changed to protect identity)

 

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The long journey from crack to carer – Working in a care home

It’s often felt that jobs within health or social care can be difficult to get into if you have a criminal record. However, as Melanie’s story shows, people with significant criminal records can successfully get into this type of work.

 

 

I’m sitting at Gatwick Airport with my son waiting for our flight to Spain to be called. We’ve both been working really hard so we’re looking forward to the break. It’s strange to think that the crazy journey I’ve been on started at Gatwick and will end there as well.

Back in 2005 when my son was 7 years old I was a single mother with an addiction to crack cocaine. I was struggling to survive and when I was given the opportunity to earn some serious cash I didn’t think twice and I agreed to smuggle a huge amount of drugs into the UK.

I wasn’t a criminal mastermind, just a crack addict, so unsurprisingly I was arrested at Gatwick Airport and before I knew it, I found myself in court and sentenced to 12 years in prison. During my time inside I recovered from a stroke (bought on by my drug taking), got myself clean and started to think about what life after prison would be like.

My son went to live with my mum and despite her being hugely disappointed in me, she bought him along to the prison most weekends so that we could maintain a close relationship.

In 2009 I moved to an open prison and started doing some voluntary work in a residential care home. As a result of my drug addiction I’d never held down a job before and I absolutely loved the routine it gave me. I volunteered for 5 days a week but would often do extra shifts when the home was short staffed.

Around the same time that I was eligible for paid work, a job came up at the care home where I volunteered and I applied, confident that I’d walk it. I was constantly praised for my work as a volunteer so why wouldn’t I get a full time paid job. Sadly, it seems employers are less tolerant about convictions when it comes to paid work than for volunteers. Although the manager of the home was happy to employ me, the Care Quality Commission were making it very difficult for her. She told me that she was willing to ‘fight my corner’ but I knew that as soon as I was released from prison I’d be moving to a different part of the country and so I took the decision to continue as a volunteer and save the ‘fight’ until I was released.

Since my release in 2011, I have gone on to work as a carer in a residential home, although it wasn’t easy to get a job. Many employers disregarded me as soon as I told them I’d got a criminal record and those that did invite me to an interview and gave me a chance to explain my conviction were less receptive when I mentioned that my offence was drug related.

Eventually I struck gold and found an employer that valued my skills and experience far more than worrying about my past. My reference from my previous care home manager was fantastic and my personal officer in prison had given me a character reference which highlighted how I’d worked with a prison drug charity and had been clean for 5 years.

I work full time and rent a house for me and my son. He’s grown into a wonderful young man and is an apprentice car mechanic. Getting paid to do a job I love is amazing. I’m able to regularly spoil my mum as a thank you for the years she’d spent looking after my son and he and I are now on our way to Spain on holiday.

It’s odd being back at Gatwick and what a difference. This time my case is full of PG Tips instead of crack cocaine – well you know how difficult it is to get a decent cup of tea abroad.

By Melanie (name changed to protect identity)

 

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“You’re fired!” – Losing my job after my spent conviction came to light due to my own honesty

A core aim of any criminal justice system must surely be to stop people re-offending. We know that getting people back into work helps with this. However, as Phil’s story shows, employers are not always so open to taking people on once they know that they have a criminal record, even if it’s now ‘spent’.

 

When we consider what is needed to help those with criminal convictions move forward in their lives, time and time again we hear that the most important factor is having a job. There are many advantages to the individual, not only the obvious financial stability but also helping the individual to feel a sense of belonging, taking responsibility, gaining a sense of purpose and the creation of social relationships. It’s so clear that being in employment is a no brainer as there are so many positive advantages for both the individual, the employer and society. Regrettably we so often come across employers who continue to display discrimination and prejudice. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 was an attempt to remove some discrimination by employers and amendments made to the Act in 2014 reduced the rehabilitation periods after which certain convictions could be classified as spent which should have given a clear, positive message to employers.

Yet one has to wonder just how many employers are fully aware of their legal obligations and how many are still actively continuing to discriminate against those with convictions either unspent or spent and how committed the government is to the Act.

This hit home to me recently when after eight months of full time employment I was dismissed for gross misconduct. I was denied any notice or pay in lieu of notice and was escorted from the building without being able to return to my desk to say goodbye to my friends and colleagues! Most people would assume that I must have done something wrong to warrant such draconian action? But it would appear this is an all too common happening around the country. The reason given for my dismissal was that I:

Have been convicted of a criminal offence that in the Company’s opinion may affect their reputation or its relationship with its staff, service users or public, or otherwise affects the employer’s suitability to continue working for the company.”

At the time of my dismissal I had a spent conviction but I had declared it on my application form as, at the time of applying, it was unspent (it became spent one day before the job interview). I wasn’t asked about it either at interview or in the months that followed when I attended a further two interviews for promotion. I felt this was fair and correct as I’d only applied for jobs which I knew afforded protection under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. My interviews for promotion were successful and I was promoted due to my ability, exemplary work, time keeping and attitude. I was judged on present merit not on something from the past.

So you can imagine my horror when one morning without any warning I was summoned to a meeting room and found myself being questioned by the HR manager because they had ‘discovered’ the ticked box on my original application form. It would appear the earlier lack of interest in my conviction was not due to good practice as I’d first though but simply an oversight.

I guess this shouldn’t have come as a surprise as since receiving my conviction abroad six years previously, I’ve struggled to move forward with my life and in particular, to find my way back into employment. This hadn’t been due to a lack of motivation or effort on my part or even an unwillingness to resume a constructive place in society but rather the preconceived attitudes of the state, employers and organisations towards people with criminal convictions. Despite what is said by the government the reality on the ground is very different and what happened to me will never show on any statistics.

All my friends and family have told me how wrongly I’ve been treated so I wrote to the company’s Managing Director in protest and he agreed to meet me with the HR director so that I could appeal the decision. For me this was well within my capabilities but I can imagine many would be daunted by having to enter the Dragon’s Den for a second time, confronting two main board directors of a huge company employing about 3000 employers. I was 100% focused as clearly they’d not only breached the ROA but were also in breach of contract for not paying me in lieu of notice. Despite this it was a hard and stressful face to face fight just to achieve my basic entitlements under employment legislation. There was no apology for the appalling way the company had treated me nor for the stress I’d suffered or the financial problems that losing my income would cause me. I was viewed as a nuisance, wasting their time. They had no choice but to agree to pay me in lieu of notice and remove the gross misconduct allegation however the dismissal still stood! As I was within the first two years of employment I couldn’t go to a tribunal for unfair dismissal and indeed as such proceedings are often reported in the media would be a big deterrent for most people. I’m sure there are many who would not be prepared to take this risk.

I will move forward, disappointed but stronger for my experiences. I have become used to my life being a game of snakes and ladders but one has to wonder just how many knock backs can a person take.

By Phil (name changed to protect identity)

 

A comment from Unlock

Phil’s story sadly demonstrates the attitude of a lot of employers which is that despite offering him two promotions based on his exemplary work and attitude, they were unable to see beyond his criminal record once they became aware of it. Unlock see this on a regular basis and is why we work on fair access to employment, supporting and challenging employers in how they treat people with convictions.

 

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A life sentence can sometimes be just the beginning of a new life

Oscar was released from prison in 2001 having served 10 years of a life sentence. In his opinion, the increase in criminal record checks and the fact that employers have become a lot more risk averse over recent years means that it’s a lot harder to find a job now than it was 15 years ago.

 

I was convicted of murder in 1990 and served a 10 year sentence. Instead of getting bogged down in prison with petty activities, I used my time in a constructive manner and enrolled on many courses as well as applying to do an Open University degree. I achieved many qualifications and a degree in psychology prior to my release and I saw these as my tools to face the outside world and be instrumental in helping me open a few doors.

I was released in 2001 on licence, moved in with my family and immediately started applying for jobs. I applied for over 400 within a six month period but to no avail with the exception of 7 replies stating:

“Sorry you have not been successful on this occasion.”

I was not only disheartened, I was demoralised with the fact that I was willing to offer my skills and was only seeking a fair chance on an equal footing.

Whilst applying for jobs, I worked as a valet operator, motor mechanic assistant and any odd job I could lay my hands on. But these were not the occupations I was interested in. I wanted a job comparable to my skills, knowledge and the desire to help others develop. At that time it seemed like a distant dream but I never gave up and became more focused using targeted applications. It was not easy and with every day that passed without success the struggle became insurmountable.

Hey presto! My perseverance paid off. I was invited to attend an interview by a local training provider for an Office Administrator position. I was asked about my skills and knowledge, all aspects of my conviction, my attitude and outlook on life etc. Even before I got home, I’d received a telephone call offering me the job. I worked for the company for 12 years and during that time was promoted several times to eventually become their Education Manager.

I helped many disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals and taught local college students and staff from Council’s, colleges and local businesses. I had access to all kinds of databases and personal information and worked hard to overcome the occasional discrimination and barriers which came up as a result of my criminal record. However, these oddities are part of life and one has to face them with dignity and use them as a fuel to step forward.

Unfortunately the company I was working for closed down as a result of funding cuts from government and I was made redundant. I started applying again for other jobs armed with the fact that not only had I put my conviction behind me but I had also gained significant experience and up to date knowledge with a reputable organisation.

I applied for 25 jobs in 6 months and attended 15 interviews. I went on to receive 6 job offers which were all withdrawn for different reasons – “pre-employment checks were not satisfactory”, “difficult for our partners to get security clearance” and “offer withdrawn on the advice of our HR department”. At no time did I withhold information about my conviction and I was always willing to discuss it at the interview.

Having been signing on for a while, the job centre decided to refer me to the Work Programme because I was struggling to find a job. The first thing the Work Programme advisor told me was to attend an Entry Level 3 course to learn how to write a CV and fill in application forms. This was regardless of the fact that my CV showed that I had previously designed and taught such courses myself. When I challenged the advisor he told me that I needed to be realistic about my prospects and it is a requirement to attend the courses or be sanctioned. I chose to sign off instead of being demoralised and diminished due to their inability to support me.

I have not given up yet and have started work on a self-employed basis and exploring other options such as being a trades-person. Before signing off benefits and starting on this journey I knew that I had to be prepared to face financial and emotional hardship. Work is scarce and hardly any money has been coming in for the last 6 months. But my wife and I do a bit of catering for small parties to make ends meet.

We live in a society whereby ordinary people are faced with severe hardship and have to rely on foodbanks to survive. It is all about survival of the fittest and that means the choice is ours to define and shape our level of fitness by making difficult and challenging choices.

By Oscar (name changed to protect identity)

 

A comment from Unlock

Oscar’s achievements since his release from prison 16 years ago begs an important question – what value is there is making him continue to disclose his past offence to potential employers? Yes, it was a very serious one, but he has clearly changed his life. Under the current rules, his conviction will remain “unspent” for the rest of his life. 

Stories like Oscar’s is why we are pushing for fundamental reform of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and why we believe there needs to be a way to seal criminal records. 

 

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Overcoming my lack of confidence to get my dream job – working as a teaching assistant

One of the consequences of receiving a criminal record can be the impact it has on your self-confidence. Fiona’s story highlights how, until it was filtered, her caution impacted on her applying for her dream job.

 

 

Ever since I can remember I have loved teaching, forever holding pretend classes and showing my younger siblings how to do things.

At eighteen I went off to study history at college with the intention of becoming a history teacher. Whilst there I began a relationship with a fellow student without realising that he already had a girlfriend. On a night out, I saw this woman, got into a huge argument with her and, in the heat of the moment, threw a glass of wine at her back (just the liquid not the glass).

The police were called and I ended up with a caution. They told me that they had to caution me as the incident had been captured on CCTV. As I was young and didn’t understand the legalities behind it, I just accepted  it. I had never been in trouble before and was even too scared to tell my parents. If I knew then what I know now, I would have contested it, but I just wanted it to be done with so agreed with everything the police said.

As soon as I left the police station I felt like a criminal. The police said the caution would be on my record for the next five years. They had taken my fingerprints and photograph, I felt awful. When I went into shops and picked up items I had flash backs and felt uncomfortable in everyday life. The caution really affected me, totally knocking my confidence.

My dreams of becoming a teacher had been shattered as I felt that no school would take me on with a caution on my record. It had been recorded as battery even though I hadn’t made any physical contact with the girl, I’d just thrown a drink, I felt humiliated and ashamed, and it was so out of character.

With my confidence and dreams shattered I went on to work in various jobs doing a teaching assistant course at evening school.

Seven years after the caution, a job I’d dreamed of came up in a local school – a teaching assistant role. I applied for the job and got an interview. I contacted the local police for their advice on the caution as I didn’t want to disclose it unless it was necessary. Even though the police advised me that I didn’t have to disclose a caution after seven years, I was still unsure and didn’t want to do the wrong thing. I emailed Unlock and was delighted to learn that my caution would be filtered and wouldn’t show on my DBS certificate. Knowing I didn’t have to disclose it really gave me added confidence and I went to the interview determined to prove that I was the best person for the job.

I got the job and applied for my DBS check. Eight weeks later I received the certificate and to my horror saw that the DBS certificate not only had my name wrong, but showed my caution as a conviction. I couldn’t believe what I was reading, how could they have made this mistake? I felt sure I would lose my job as the school were waiting for the DBS certificate.

Again I went to the police station to try and resolve the situation, but nobody could help me, clearly they didn’t realise the impact this would have on my career or my life.

In tears, I telephoned Unlock again. They explained that I would have to appeal to the DBS and even sent me a link to the relevant DBS website page. I filled out the form and waited. Eventually the DBS confirmed that an error had been made, and they sent me a new certificate – absolutely clear which I passed onto the school.

I’m now working in my dream job and feel so relieved that I’ve been able to benefit from having my caution filtered. The caution really knocked my confidence, just thinking about disclosing it caused me loads of stress and upset and I probably wasted a lot of opportunities because of it.

By Fiona (name changed to protect identity)

 

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Struggling to find work with a life licence

Despite his conviction being almost 20 years ago, Ed explains how employers still judge him on the person he was then and not the person he is now.

 

 

In 1999 I was tried and convicted of murder. I had never been in trouble before and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I will never re-offend. A moment of complete and utter madness led me to doing something that I never thought possible.

In prison I put my time to good use and completed many offending behaviour and vocational training courses which I thought would help me to gain employment on my release from prison. How wrong was I?

It’s been 3 years now since I was released and apart from some badly paid agency work, I’ve still not been able to secure full time employment. Yet all I heard in prison was how I’d done my time, gained new skills and knowledge and how prisoners were given second chances – well I’m still waiting for mine.

I know that many people will struggle to understand why I did what I did. At the end of the day there is no worse offence than taking a person’s life even if you did it to protect your family. But I’ve served a considerable prison sentence and all I want now is to move on.

I don’t want to be a burden on the state. I want to work and pay my bills just like everybody else. But I can’t because people still judge me on the person that I was almost 20 years ago – is that right? I may be on a life licence but there are no restrictions on what job I can do or where I can work, so I’m pretty flexible. I’m fit and active and prepared to work hard, i just need that one person to give me a break.

I’ve got a great fiancee who’s fully supported me since we’ve been together and I’m incredibly lucky to have her in my life. She encourages and motivates me and we’d love to get married but because of the work situation it’s impossible right now.

I’m a strong person and try to keep positive but some days are harder than others. Although I have no intention of re-offending (I’ve spent too long in prison), I can understand why people do. If you’re not allowed to fully engage in society, then for many the only option is to rebel against it.

The courses I did in prison certainly helped me get my head in the right place and prepare me for release but what do they matter if you can’t get a job at the end of it? I heard somebody say that this was the equivalent of training a football team for the World Cup and then turning up to find there’s no football.

Well I’ve no intention of retiring from the game yet, I’m just looking for a great manager to give me a trial.

By Ed (name changed to protect identity)

 

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A long criminal record doesn’t have to stop you succeeding – My experience of working with young and vulnerable adults

Many people assume that once they’ve got a criminal record, they’ll never be able to work with children or vulnerable adults. As Danny’s story shows, this is not always the case. 

 

 

What can I say about my childhood – it wasn’t great to be honest. I was the middle of three kids, all born within 4 years of each other and my mum was a typical wonderfully caring woman whilst my dad was a real disciplinarian (probably due to his having served in the army for many years).

When he left the services my family settled in the South of England and one of my earliest childhood memories was the bitter arguing and fighting between my mum and dad. My dad moved out for a while but came back pretty quickly and the fighting and arguing just continued as before.

I started a fantastic junior school in the 70’s but because I was made to wear jumble sale clothes and my dad shaved my hair into a skinhead cut (just like I was in the army) I was bullied a lot. This wasn’t the worst thing though because at about the same time my dad started abusing myself and my sister. In my case, the abuse carried on for many years, right up until I started secondary school when it stopped suddenly. However, he continued to abuse my sister who told nobody about her experiences.

My father’s abuse affected many parts of my life, not least my education. I was continually disruptive in school but when the head teacher called my parents in, my dad would punish me further by beating me until I was black and blue.

By the time I was 12, I’d started getting into trouble with the police – silly stuff like shoplifting and other petty crimes but eventually I was sent to a detention centre in Kent for 4 months. This is going to sound crazy but I was the happiest I’d ever been. There were no beatings, no abuse, no fights, no arguing.

After years and years of abuse, my sister eventually found the courage to confide in her boyfriend about our father and encouraged by him, she went to the police. My father was arrested, charged and sentenced to many years in prison and we all moved back to the North of England. I continued to get into trouble and served another 4 sentences in detention centres and prison – offending was now part of my life and I couldn’t see any way out of it.

Then I met the person who was to change my life and would become my wife. Having somebody in my life that I loved and who loved me made all the difference and I was determined to change my life for the better. So I started working in a variety of jobs, mostly in factories, until I got a start in retail. I loved the work and within a few years I’d been made a department manager in a large high street store. I got married and my wife gave birth to our beautiful daughter who was (and still is) the apple of my eye. Every decision I made from then on was based on my ability to provide for and spend time with my family. I wanted to make sure their lives were different to mine.

Having started to do OK for myself both personally and professionally, in 2009 I decided to spend some of my spare time volunteering with the Barnardos Heartbeat Project. I was working alongside a guy called Bob delivering sessions to hard to reach young people which looked at the causes of their offending and provided them with strategies they could use to overcome their cycle of offending. I’d been volunteering for about 6 months when I was asked by one of my managers to apply for a paid job with them as a project worker in my local area. To cut a long story short, the interview went well and I was offered the job – what followed was one of the most rewarding times of my entire working life.

Whilst working at Barnardos I gained a number of qualifications including Level 3 NVQ’s in Advice and Guidance and Counselling and a PTTLS teaching qualification. I gained an ASDAN (Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network) delivery qualification and started delivering employability training to young people studying vocational courses at a local college. I still work in the same type of job now but with people with special needs as well as young people. My own experience has shown what you can achieve if somebody believes in you and my job allows me to help others to see a future for themselves. It’s immensely rewarding and I look forward to getting up in the morning and going to work.

My relationship with my mum remains good and in 2012 she nominated me to be an Olympic torchbearer in my local town. An amazing day that I’ll never forget.

I’ve tried hard to understand why my dad did what he did and I’d started to see him on a regular basis. On one of my recent weekly visits, despite ringing the doorbell and hammering on the door for what seemed an age, I couldn’t get any answer from him and, after looking through the keyhole and seeing his keys and phone on the hall table I began to get really worried. I phoned the police who broke into his flat where we found my father dead on the floor.

Finding my dad like that was so hard. There was still so much I wanted to talk to him about and I never got a chance to do that. At his funeral, I talked about forgiveness and how important it is to forgive others because life is too short.

My real message to anybody with a criminal record who feels that society has given up on them is this: Please believe in yourself and let others see how determined you are to succeed. I left school with no qualifications, no prospects and a criminal record as long as your arm. I wanted to work with young people but I was worried about rejection. However, I had nothing to fear – there are organisations that are looking for people just like you who have lived real life experiences and can relate to them.

By Danny (name changed to protect identity)

 

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