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For people with criminal records
For people with criminal records

Author: Debbie Sadler

Some examples of people we’ve helped

Looking back over the last couple of months, we’ve written up a few examples of the people we’ve helped.

We hope they give a good idea of how we help people.

However, more importantly than our role, we think that these examples show how people with convictions are able to overcome some of the barriers that have been put in their way due to their criminal record.

We’ve posted the examples below as case studies in the support section of our website:

 

Charles – Information and advice is great but Unlock also gave me encouragement and support

Mehmet – Unlock helped me take the steps necessary to achieve my ultimate goal

Sean – My employer tried to adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) but this just caused more confusion

 

 

 

 

Monthly summary – June 2020

Welcome to our monthly summary for June 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.

Have you stumbled across this? You can receive updates 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 to the information hub. There are links within each update to where you can find more information about the update.

About criminal records

  • Were you given a compensation order in court? Remember to tell the DBS once it’s paid – We’ve written an advice post setting out the way compensation orders are dealt with by the DBS for the purposes of basic checks and highlighting when you’ll need to provide proof of payment to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Work and volunteering

  • Ban the Box employers – We’ve updated the list of ban the box employers to include details of new companies that have recently signed up to remove the box on application forms which asks about criminal records.

Insurance

  • List of insurance brokers – We’ve updated our list of brokers to include details of further companies that offer policies to people with a criminal record.

News from Unlock

  • Our support in numbers – We’ve put together an infographic setting out the details of the number of people we supported in 2019/20 through our helpline and online sites.

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.

Struggles and stigma – Why are insurance companies still discriminating against those with a criminal record? – “I was convicted of fraud in March 2017 and received a 5 year prison sentence. This was my first experience of the criminal justice system. I now fully appreciate the stigma and prejudice those with a criminal record suffer, particularly when trying to obtain insurance for their home or car …..”

Success – Gone but not forgotten – Understanding the meaning of a spent conviction – “At the beginning of May I reached another milestone in my criminal justice journey – my conviction became spent. Ten years from that day in court I am, according to the law, a fully rehabilitated individual. Awesome! But what does it mean? …..”

Success – Being brave isn’t easy but it’s key to moving forward – Standing by my husband following his conviction – “My husband Gary and I had been married for 12 years when he was convicted of a sexual offence. I had no idea that he’d been downloading and viewing indecent images of children and from the moment I found out, I went through a whole spectrum of emotions …..”

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.

I’ve been barred from the housing register by my local housing department because of my conviction – Following the disclosure of his conviction to his local authority, Icy has been told that his request to stay/join the housing register has been suspended for at least 2 years. Has anybody else encountered similar problems with housing and if so, what did you do?

Restraining orders – procedure to follow for defendants during lead up to issuing of an order – Star is concerned that the process followed when he was issued with his restraining order was incorrect. Can anybody offer him any help or advice?

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.

Blog – Looking to the future: incentivising employment of people with convictions

At the start of the month, Unlock published a briefing paper calling on the government to use financial incentives to improve the employment prospects for people with convictions.

Criminal records webinar on 29th July – Booking now open

If you deal with criminal records in your work, for example helping people with convictions who are applying for jobs or working in recruitment/HR and making hiring decisions then you may be interested in our webinar on understanding the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and disclosure of criminal records.

Blog – Criminal justice, racial discrimination and criminal records

Unlock’s co-director, Christopher Stacey shares some thoughts on the current Black Lives Matter protests, the criminal justice system, racial discrimination and the impact of criminal records.

What’s your experience of ban the box?

As part of our fair access to employment project, we’re gathering evidence of employers’ approaches to people with criminal records. In particular, we’d like to learn more about your experience of applying to a ‘ban the box’ employer. Find out how you can help.

Monthly update – June 2020

We’ve just published our update for June 2020.

This months update includes:

  1. An infographic setting out details of the number of people we supported in 2019/20 through out helpline and online sites.
  2. An update to our list of ban the box employers to include details of companies that have recently signed up to remove the box on application forms which asks about criminal records.
  3. A personal story from an individual whose conviction has just become spent but wants more to be done to reform the criminal records disclosure regime.
  4. A link to a discussion on theForum from an individual who, after disclosing his conviction to his local authority has been told that he can’t join/stay on the housing register for at least 2 years. 
  5. Details of a briefing paper we’ve just published calling on the government to use financial incentives to improve the employment prospects for people with convictions.
  6. A call out to anybody who has any experience of applying to a ‘ban the box’ employer for a job.

 

The full update 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 individuals with a criminal record.

Read the June 2020 update in full.

Best wishes,

Unlock

Notes

Our support in numbers – 2019/20

As the UK went into lock-down in March 2020, Unlock came to the end of another financial year.

In the year April 2019 to March 2020, our helpline was contacted by 7,803 people, 87% of whom had a criminal record.

Our information hub was visited by 1,132,371 and 45,761 people used our disclosure calculator.

Have a look at the infographic below to find out more about the support we provided.

Helpline

Online

You can download a copy of the infographic here.

Were you given a compensation order in court? Remember to tell the DBS once it’s paid

Our helpline regularly receives contact from individuals concerned to find that a conviction they’d believed was spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 is still showing on their basic DBS certificate.

There are many reasons why this might be the case, but one of the things that our helpline advisors will ask is whether the person received a compensation order as part of their sentence.

Compensation orders only become spent once they’re paid in full. So, if you’ve not paid it, your conviction will still show on your basic check.

But, even when you have paid it, your conviction may still show on your basic DBS certificate. This is because there is currently no system in place which allows a court to update the DBS that an order has been settled in full. In practice, the onus is on you to provide proof of payment to the DBS when you apply for your basic check. (you don’t have to do this every time, just once).

The only time the DBS will consider a compensation order spent under the ROA without having any proof of payment from you is when it:

  1. was for an amount of less than £100 or
  2. is over 6 years old.

Let the DBS know you’ve paid the compensation order?

You’ll need to get proof that your order has been paid in full from the court where you were sentenced. Depending on the court, this may be in the form of a receipt or a letter. There isn’t usually a charge for this.

You should send a copy of this receipt/letter to the DBS either with your application or separately, in confidence, if your application is being submitted via a third party. Remember to quote your application barcode or reference number together with your name, address and date of birth in any correspondence.

Once they’ve received this, the DBS will be able to update their records and your conviction will no longer appear on your basic DBS certificate.

For more information

Monthly summary – May 2020

Welcome to our monthly summary for May 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.

Have you stumbled across this? You can receive these updates 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 to the information hub. There are links within each update to where you can find more information about the update.

Work and volunteering

  • Applying for an anonymity order when bringing a claim against an employer – We’ve produced some new information on applying for an anonymity order which may enable you to keep your personal details anonymous when bringing a claim against an employer at an employment tribunal.
  • Applied to the NHS volunteer responder scheme and used your DBS check as identity? – We’ve written a new advice post to highlight an issue we’d been made aware of regarding the incorrect use of DBS certificates and the way in which the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) dealt with our concerns.

Coming to (and staying) in the UK

  • EU nationals coming to and staying in the UK – We’ve updated this page to include a link to a guide published by EU Representation in the UK entitled ‘Brexit – What you need to know as an EU Citizen living in the UK’.

About criminal records

  • Covid-19 – Key information for people with criminal records – This page has been updated to reflect the latest restrictions now that lock-down is gradually being eased as well as details of how the National Probation Service and CRC’s are dealing with supervision appointments.

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 – My probation officer is never going to be my friend but I have a better understanding of her job now – “I’m under no illusion that many of you reading this will vehemently disagree with what I say. If I were reading it several years ago I would have too and, I think that’s the point I’m trying to make …..”

Success – Despite my criminal record, I’m a good Samaritan – “Just over two years ago I was convicted of an offence which means that I still have an unspent conviction. My arrest and conviction was just what I needed to make me take a long hard look at the life I was leading …..”

Views and reviews – “I didn’t think that my dad was at risk of dying when he was sent to prison” – The impact of coronavirus on people in prison – “Like most people in the UK, I totally support the government’s decision to introduce the lock-down measures as a way of reducing the spread of coronavirus. As I work in a hotel I can’t work from home but I’ve been furloughed and I’m currently getting 80% of my pay so, in many ways I’m one of the lucky ones. Except my life is being affected by coronavirus and I can’t tell anybody …..”

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.

Moving abroad while on the SOR – Jameson202 has 3 years left on the register but would like to move abroad. Has anybody had any experience of this?

Has anyone successfully obtained a business bank account with a fraud conviction? – G.swarm is interested to know whether he’d be able to register as a sole trader with a CIFAS marker. Any thoughts on this?

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.

What is the impact of Covid-19 on people with criminal records?

Since the UK went into lock-down and social distancing measures were introduced, we’ve been looking at the emerging issues faced by people with criminal records. We’ve compiled a short survey to help us have a better understanding of these challenges so that we can raise the issues and call for solutions.

Monthly update – May 2020

We’ve just published our update for May 2020.

This months update includes:

  1. New information on applying for an anonymity order if you’re considering bringing a claim against an employer at an employment tribunal.
  2. An update to our page on Covid-19 – Key information for people with criminal records to reflect the amended restrictions now that lock-down has started to ease.
  3. A personal story from an individual who successfully applied for a volunteering role with the Samaritans with an unspent conviction.
  4. A link to a discussion on theForum from an individual looking for advice on moving abroad whilst on the Sex Offenders Register.
  5. Details of a survey being carried out by Unlock to help us have a better understanding of the challenges being faced by people with a criminal record as a result of Covid-19.

 

The full update 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 individuals with a criminal record.

Read the May 2020 update in full.

Best wishes,

Unlock

Notes

Been unfairly treated by your employer? Employment tribunals and anonymity orders

In many cases, somebody who has been wrongly or unfairly treated by their employer can make a claim at an employment tribunal where a Tribunal Panel will make a decision on what settlement, if any, you should receive.

However, since 2017 employment tribunal decisions have been published online which means that the names of anyone making a claim (together with the other parties involved), may show up on an internet search.

For anybody that has a criminal record, the idea that details of their conviction (including a spent conviction) could be disclosed will be enough to stop them bringing a case.

So, is there any way to stop this information going online?

The simple answer is ‘no’. However, Employment Tribunal Rules allow tribunals to make orders which prevent or restrict the public disclosure of any aspect of those proceedings. These are referred to as an anonymity order.

We’ve produced some new information on applying for an anonymity order which sets out the application process and also provides details of things to include in your application to increase your chances of success.

More information

Applied to the NHS volunteer responder scheme and used your DBS check as identity?

So far approximately 750,000 people have volunteered for the NHS volunteer responder scheme which was set up to help provide support to vulnerable adults who are self-isolating.

The voluntary roles available include:

  • Community Response
  • Patient Transport
  • Check in and Chat

The scheme is being coordinated by the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS).

Guidance from RVS states that patient transport roles are the only ones which require an enhanced DBS check. Applicants could however provide any level of DBS certificate as identification for any role (including non-patient transport ones). Where applicants did this, it was assumed that the certificate would only be used for ID purposes and any other information on the certificate would be disregarded.

We were made aware that this was not always the case and that applications for non-patient transport roles were being refused verification due to criminal record information on the DBS certificate. We contacted RVS to raise our concerns.

RVS responded very quickly stating that they had carried out a review of why certain applications had been refused. As a result of this, it had come to light that:

In some cases, a risk assessment based on criminal record data included on a DBS check and, provided for ID purposes, may have been undertaken in relation to non-patient transport roles”.

RVS have confirmed to us that:

  • DBS certificates will no longer be used as valid forms of ID for application purposes; and
  • All DBS checks previously provided for the purposes of ID, which contain certain criminal conviction data, but which do not relate to an exempt role will be deleted, and where necessary, alternative forms of ID will be requested.

As a result of the high numbers of application, recruitment has been temporarily paused but RVS have encouraged anybody whose previous application could not be verified, to re-apply once the registration page re-opens using an alternative form of identification.

A comment from Unlock

If you have applied for a non-patient transport role and provided a DBS certificate as proof of ID, it would have been a reasonable expectation that your criminal record would not be used against you, and it’s disappointing to find that this has not always been the case.

However, it was encouraging to see RVS respond so quickly to the issues raised and to then implement new practices.

If you have previously failed the verification process, we would encourage you to re-apply once recruitment re-opens.

Monthly summary – April 2020

Welcome to our monthly summary for April 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.

Have you stumbled across this? You can receive these updates 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 information hub. 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.

About criminal records

  • Covid-19 (coronavirus) – Key information for people with a criminal record – We’ve produced some new information which sets out the latest information and advice on Covid-19 and how it impacts on those with a criminal record.
  • International Child Protection Certificate (for working overseas) – This page has been updated to reflect how certain offences can be ‘stepped down’ resulting in a certificate only showing ‘No live trace’ instead of disclosing details of a caution/conviction.

Work and volunteering

  • Working in Government – Security vetting/Security clearance – We’ve updated this page to include a link to an example of a CTC/SC questionnaire.

Housing

  • Moving on: Homelessness and leaving prison – We’ve written a further article for InsideTime which provides information on what steps to take if you’re likely to be homeless upon your release from prison.

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.

Struggles and stigma – “Don’t believe everything you read” – Getting a visa from the US Embassy in Belfast is no guarantee – “Last year I visited the US Embassy in Belfast to apply for a US holiday visa. Because of the work I do, I couldn’t afford to take the risk of lying on the online ESTA form but I’d read that my chances of getting a visa would be better in Ireland than in London …..”

Success – “Acceptance was the answer to my problems” – Getting into university with an unspent conviction – “I’m so pleased to be writing this and able to say that I’ve just been accepted at university to study for a Masters despite having an unspent conviction …..”

Success – Don’t be bitter, just be better – “Like so many people who’ve been locked up under an indeterminate sentence, I became very bitter and resentful. This was mostly because I knew that there was (and is) nothing ‘dangerous’ about me. I knew that if I posed a danger to anyone, I posed a danger only to myself …..”

Discussions on our online forum

Below are links to recent posts on 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.

Possible future step-grandchildren – who do I need to disclose to? – DekaRed is currently on the SOR and is looking for some clarification on who he needs to disclose his conviction to if he starts a new relationship with a lady who has grandchildren. Can anybody advise him?

Get out of lock-down free pass (to see a probation officer) – Alexh07 is interested to know what people’s experience has been of probation appointments during the Covid-19 lock-down. Let us know what arrangements your probation office has put in place.

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.

Spring 2020 Newsletter – What we’ve been up to

We’ve published our spring 2020 newsletter which provides an update on the news at Unlock in the last 3 months.

We want to make sure that our website is as helpful as possible.

Letting us know if you easily found what you were looking for or not enables us to continue to improve our service for you and others.

Was it easy to find what you were looking for?

Thank you for your feedback.

12 million people have criminal records in the UK. We need your help to help them.

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