Hello there,

I’m on the SO Register and have a SHPO which doesn’t expire for the next 3 years

Has anybody got any practical advice as to how I might find work with this background?

Thanks

Abagado

Hi Abagado,

I have been in your position. The two best options are:

1) Self-employment, where you are your own boss so there are no checks;

2) Finding a manual labour position or a job in a small independent shop, e.g. on the till or stacking shelves, where the employer is just happy for anyone to do the work and doesn't think/bother to ask about convictions. Instead of using more formal online recruitment websites where there are more likely to be requirements and checks etc., a good way to find a position like this would be to look at notices put up by hand in shop windows etc., where it's all done directly with the employer, somewhat informally and old-fashioned, and hopefully without DBS involvement.

I agree with Ben.

I was sacked by Amazon from a distribution centre when my DBS check came back and the local Tesco warehouse rescinded their job offer when I declared at interview as required. On the plus side, the local Job Centre Plus stopped asking me in for the bi-weekly Universal Credit meetings when I declared it to my interviewer!

I've cashed in a private pension (I'm over 55) to take me to the end of the SRO/SHPO notification period at which point a basic check will come back as zero, but that option isn't open to all.

I was tempted to go for an Amazon distribution centre as there is one near me. But now I know not to waste my time. Were they not understanding at all?

=====
Fighting or Accepting - its difficult to know which is right and when.

They let me work out the week so there was no embarrassing sacked on the spot moment, but the supervisor told me it was a corporate decision and her hands were tied. I guess another plus point was that she was only notified of the "fail" not why.

Hi,

I suppose we all would wish you luck. Everything depends on how compassionate and understanding the recruiter / hiring interviewer is in reality.

My offence was "Paying for the sexual services of a female".
I have been classed as Low Risk since my arrest, found unsuitable to attend ANY sex offender type of course, am on the SOR for life or at least another 6 years when I will appeal, have applied for over 2000 jobs, had a couple of offers but all rescinded when I declared.

I have 23 years in the military behind me in some of the most dangerous scenarios British troops have been in. Been permanent in many large blue chip companies, part founder  of a software testing business, and a consultant for global companies. All those skills and the experience matter for nothing when I have to declare. One misjudged decision gave me a conviction and so placed me on what I see as 

Regressive Conditioning

. in other words; after 11 years, the system and society will not allow me to move on as they only focus on discussing and so reminding me, of my misjudged action no matter what evidence is presented to them. Rule one of any relationship is not to keep reminding the person of their mistakes especially if they have learned and so not repeating them.

I have listened to many "legal authorities" express their advice (instructions) on how to get a job. Problem is - and I have vast recruitment experience - is that they approach the process in a self interest manner:

1. Though the majority have no recruitment experience and only "text book" experience of an ex-offender searching for work, they believe they are the experts and you know nothing so must do what they state.
2. I would suggest their motivation for you to get a job is in a conflict of interests scenario. I say this because if you become employed, your confidence and quality of life improves as you gain control and form a positive structure around you. That means the years they have spent, transforming you to become an obedient servant; possibly by manipulation, that asks for prior approval on every decision you have to make becomes wasted. Ask yourself the following, if you gained employment that suggests "rehabilitation" is a fact, but how can a society / process that believes in Regressive Conditioning allow that to be accepted?
3. They state you have to declare and tell the interviewer everything, even if the employer did not ask the question - they threat to call the employer if you are successful to check.
4. They question every job you go for to understand your reason for applying for that job as you must have a reason to pick that particular job out of all the thousands out there. Quite often they voice a problem scenario that is not a reality and ask you explain how you would manage it or say it is a risk so you should not go for the job.
5. They misunderstand the meaning when an individual says"I need to work!". Their limited view of the ex-offender immediately flashes the headline "money" in their mind. They do not think of the deeper and more positive impact of that statement to the individual.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

Regressive conditioning - nail on the head.
Two decades of a noble profession but your progression is crippled by one event over a decade ago? What an absolute shambles of a system we have here.
To bring it back to employment, when rehabilitation bodies (for lack of a better phrase) talk about employment as a good positive step forward in rehabilitation, which I agree with, the conversation stops short of '... and when that's not happening?' It's a prison without walls.



I'm glad to hear you were able to leave Amazon with some dignity at least. But when you're clearly able to do the job by the fact they let you continue to work the rest of the week...! It sounds like clear discrimination in my book but I don't know enough about employment law/probation periods etc to suggest it is.

=====
Fighting or Accepting - its difficult to know which is right and when.

Hi
Thank you and agree with your words about amazon. I would also include that by letting him finish the week they were more interested in protecting their image and any possible retaliation. Mine you most employers and the Justice system know that extrimely few ex SO would raise a fuss, especially not to the media.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

I disagree. It was because I was on the rota and it would have been difficult to sub at short notice. All it implied was that a non-spent conviction wasn't a block to the job in hand. There was no corporate image to protect. No-one has a clue who is stuffing parcels in baskets in Amazon distribution warehouses. They are just queasy about employing people with non-spent convictions. My interview included a "surprise" drugs test. I don't think they picked me out. It's just how they are. Hell, EDS refused to employ people with beards in the 1980s - totally legal! 

Up until August last year i worked for the same company for close to ten years, when i got the job i was not asked about any unspent convictions, as i was fresh out of prison PPU and probation were ok with the fact i did not disclose my offence (Sex offence). During those 10 years i was promoted a number of time to make net positions and to other offices that the firm ran. When i was promoted again in July 2019 and and given a new department to manage, a member of staff that did not get the job did some background digging and found out all about me, after they went to the board of directors with the information, and the threat that they would make it public if i did not leave, i was in not choice but to resign and leave a job and profession i loved.

Sad state not only have i been unemployed since that person told everyone anyway. PPU advice was to just leave it and move on.