This is my first post and I do apologise for it being a bit on the long side.....

I have been out now for over a year and I'm really struggling to get employment. I have a sexual offence conviction and was aware that that would be harder. So I have (up to today) really only applied for warehouse jobs. My thinking was that I was more likely to be employed as it is generally high turnover of staff and it's not customer facing... but it appears I was so wrong!

 I applied for warehouse vacancies online and was shortlisted. Went to Osbourne Appointments and First Call to register on the same day. A year later and I have not heard ONE THING from First Call. As for OA, when I registered at the office, I disclosed to the woman whom dealt with me and then again before I left with a woman whom I assume is higher up, and was told, although it will be harder it's not impossible and was thanked for my upfront honesty. A week had past and I heard nothing in regards to the job I had applied for so I called. Didn't get it because there were others more experienced, but more jobs would be available the next week. Following week I hadn't heard anything, so I called. The companies wanted more experienced workers and/or people that had worked for them before. I then continued to job seek and tried to login to my account with OA that was set up the day I registered but I couldn't sign in. I contacted the office through email and over the phone 4 times to ask why I couldn't access my account and was told that they would inform IT that there was problems. After 7 months of being signed up to their agency, after emailing their head office about having NO CONTACT, I was told that they will not be helping offering me a job as I have an unspent conviction.... shame I didn't get the same upfront honesty from them!!!

 During this time of being on road, I have signed up to about another 5 agencies and have heard NOTHING! I did manage to get a week of work from Linear Recruitment (by pure fluke) and even when I tried to get the same job at the same warehouse through a different agency, I was told it was the company's policy not to employ sex offenders. I'm finding that it seems to be everyone's policy! Sex offenders and arsonists are just unemployable?! 

 Today I was shortlisted for a job, the company was mentioned in the text and I knew that a DBS check was required for the job, so I double checked and I asked the agency just to be sure. Asking if having an unspent conviction meant I would not get the job I was told 'the agency won't accommodate unspent criminal convictions of any nature'. I asked her what agency she worked for so I know not to apply for any vacancies advertised in future to which she replied 'All agencies in warehousing won't accommodate unspent criminal convictions'. Not sure if that is true as it clearly is possible (even if it is by error on the agencies part).... I managed to get a few agencies from her that won't entertain me though (Staffline, PPM, Single resource, Mach recruitment and Gap Personnel in case you were wondering).... but I'm starting to feel like there is no hope for employment! I tried warehouse but no. I tried bars as it was an adult environment, but no. What kind of jobs can sex offender go for?....  I'm at a loss and I'm obviously going to get zero help from agencies.