By Christopher Stacey - 18 Jun 08 1:26 PM
Formal complaint by UNLOCK leads to Staffordshire Police and Cannock Chase Council agreeing to cancel plans to share criminal record data
In December 2011, a local newspaper ran an article on a new process that the local council, Cannock Chase, had set up with Staffordshire Police to check prospective council tenants. You can read the article here. We were invited to take part in a regional radio programme to discuss this with the council leader (see below).
Following this radio interview, we made contact with the local council and put a number of questions to them about the policy. The responses to these questions were cause for concern to us, and so we made an official complaint to the Information Commissioners Office.
We later received the following response from the ICO: "I can confirm that the initiative due to start in April 2012 whereby Cannock Chase Council would be, through an agreement with Staffordshire Police, undertaking criminal records checks on all applicants for housing tenancies will not now be going ahead. This has been confirmed by the Head of Information Assurance at Staffordshire Police who were not aware that this agreement had been set up."
We are delighted with the outcome of this case. However, this is not an isolated example. We have been informed that initiatives have been formed between other police forces and local authorities to undertake pre-housing checks.
Do you know the policy of your local authority in relation to criminal records and social housing? Do they have a processing of carrying out pre-housing checks of criminal records? Let us know the situation in your local area by posting on this section of the Forum.
Need information/advice?
1. Is your question already answered? Check our online Information Hub, Frequently Asked Questions, Publications, Links & Members Forum
2. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Ask the community a question
3. Still don’t know the answer? Ask UNLOCK
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By AJH - 20 Aug 10 5:04 PM
Hooray! Hooray! Good shot Red-Two!
This was so obviously an inappropriate and discriminatory use of criminal record information. Am glad that the ICO took this view.
Keep your eyes peeled everyone and if possible, ask your local authority what their policy is.
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By forever changes - 7 May 09 7:06 PM
result! well done
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By Tough - 11 Feb 11 12:54 AM
well done great result 
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By BadLadBlu - 22 May 11 2:01 PM
awesome result 
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By Anonymous - 25 Jan 12 11:38 AM
Smth lucy are you sure you are a law student,your grammar,spelling points to the fact you are not what you would have us belive,for what exact reason do you need to know how to pass a urine test, also this forum is for reformed offenders, have you commited an offence or been charged with one?,,,,,,,,,,,, this dark facade ends,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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By jono-gt6 - 25 Feb 12 5:15 PM
Errr SmithLucy what on earth has your post got to do with housing? Spam anyone.
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By Christopher Stacey - 18 Jun 08 1:26 PM
Suspected as spam. Post deleted and account locked!
Need information/advice?
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2. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Ask the community a question
3. Still don’t know the answer? Ask UNLOCK
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By teg56 - 8 Apr 12 6:58 PM
Great work unlock!, have to say that proposed idea was ridiculous, most of the people that require social housing need a home due to losing there home/job due to a criminal conviction so what would this gain?, denying us a home? so where do we go if we can't get a job then?, homeless?. then we just re-offend to survive!.
A home is a starting block to a better life, without a home we lose hope.
Also I forgot to add, I applied for social housing after my conviction and put it down on the forms as it asked two questions:
One about convictions
One about have you ever been on the SOR?
I answered both of these truthfully and ended up getting a good band to bid for propertys, so I don't understand what this CRB check would actually do?.Post Edited (teg56) : 09/04/2012 17:45:07 (GMT+1)
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By aledsav1 - 11 Apr 12 8:04 AM
I have just secured a house from London and Quadrant Housing Association via Southend council, (feel very fortunate) I cannot recall if I had to disclose my convictions on the original reg document? however I recently had to fill in a reg doc with Estuary Housing Assoc and they did require me to disclose convictions and anything outstanding.
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By Me MkIII - 19 Aug 10 11:46 AM
Just to let you know, Medway Council ask for your convictions when you register on the Housing Register. Apparently if you apply for the HomeChoice scheme they then pass these details onto a prospective landlord to 'aid' their decision.........
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By Christopher Stacey - 18 Jun 08 1:26 PM
Me MKIII,
Out of interest, can you remember what the specific question is? i.e. does it ask for all convictions, just unspent ones, or just ones of a particular type?
Cheers,
Chris
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