So feeling kind of hopeless right now. I have an unspent SO that won't be removed for another 2.5 years. All the companies that are supposed to help with people in my position seem to turn away when it's a SO. I have managed to do some courses that have kept myself busy. But I just feel like I really need to get a job. Or even start working from home. My confidence with that is pretty low. I looked into selling on ebay or something. But what? Plus I have the google effect. So even if I do find work i'm going to be paranoid every day that i'm about to be found out. Even this forum is basically dead with posts from years ago. I just think of the thousands of people in the same position in the UK. Are they all just sitting around waiting for it to be over like me. Could do with some advice. 

Unfortunately that's largely how it goes. When you can't even get employment in either an Amazon distribution centre or a Tesco warehouse other opportunities are going to be limited. 

I was lucky as after 18 months I was able to cash in a personal pension to tide me over until my SHPO ran out, but I know it's not that easy for others.

The key, as you recognise, is to find something constructive to do. I was lucky as I've been writing anonymously for 30 years, run a web site, go to football matches, go to gigs, and I found an online game that soaks up the remainder of my time. I also did a lot of free online computer courses, many I'll never need, but they were good as a general knowledge thing. Only you will be able to work out what's best for you, but keeping the mind actively occupied is important.

The Forum is only "dead" in that it stopped working for a long period of time. The old posts were there, but you couldn't create new ones or reply. I know I stopped logging in for quite some time, but I think people are coming back.

I find myself to be in the boat as you, I have done countless amount of courses learning from home but I have always struggled to actually find a career I want to do even before my conviction, I have 5 years left on the SHPO and SOR (unless I amend / appeal). The past couple of weeks, maybe even months now. I have generally been well with in myself and more confident and have not felt all that depressed or had issues with my anxiety. I suppose the learning I was doing along with giving myself other projects to do has helped me massively. I am constantly told self employment would benefit me in terms of getting work but much like yourself, the places that operate to help those with convictions turn you away if its a SO offence.

All I can suggest is keep looking forward, keep on pushing yourself to do more. Whether that be more learning, doing various projects such as DIY. Keep yourself busy as much as you can and rebuild your confidence. Granted applying for jobs with an unspent conviction is much more difficult, but not impossible. I am yet to start applying for jobs myself but I am feeling more confident to do so each day I work on my skills. The forum has many helpful threads detailing when or when not to disclose which I have found quite helpful.

We can not change the past and given the chance I know I would, but we can change and learn from past mistakes and one day society will recognize that.

Have you tried Upwork or Peopleperhour or Fiverr? Freelancing work, no need for disclosure.

The biggest problem with employers is the HR department. You might be interviewed by one person, who can see you are the best candidate for the job, but then your application goes to HR, and the person there bins it, because you have a conviction, even though they have never spoken to you themselves.

The larger the employer, the more likely that their HR will be full of jobsworths, who are either, scared of damaging the companies reputation, or following that companies unofficial policy, of not giving SO a second chance. Something similar happens with recruitment agencies, so avoid them too.

The best thing to do, is to avoid all the big employers, like Tesco and Amazon. Look around for small employers, who do their own HR, so that the person interviewing you, is the person doing the hiring and firing. When I applied for a job at a petrol station, many years ago, the guy asked me two questions: "have you done this kind of work before?" and "when can you start"? They didn't even ask for references.

That's because the people who own these petrol stations are self employed franchisees. They are not employed by the oil company, so they can do their own hiring, without going through the oil companies HR dept. Most small, family owned firms operate like this and there are lots of them around. 

But the trick is finding those jobs. They don't have big advertising budgets, so they won't advertise the jobs very widely. It's going to be case of asking around in your local area, to see who is hiring, check local papers and look in local shop windows.

I really appreciate all of your responses. I was quite surprised when I saw even one person had replied haha. I agree I have been keeping myself busy with courses etc. Which I really enjoyed. I keep looking at what other courses I can do. But I think to myself I have no idea how that is actually going to help me in the long run. Like I was offered a security course or a care course. Ill never be able to get jobs in either of them. I have also in the past 3 months really started to get healthy. Think ive lost nearly 30lbs. I am feeling pretty confident with all things considering. I have not applied for a job in nearly a year. Basically I just don't want to go back to the anxiety and the feeling of worry that comes with getting a job. But I want to show my family that I can get back into work and basically just want everyone off my back. 

I did look into those sites you mentioned because I think you might of posted them before. But I just stared at the homepage thinking I have no idea what any of this. Or what I could do. Luckily I am in a good housing position with a friend who still continues to help me in life. I wish I had that self employment drive where I could think of a business and start making money no matter how long it takes. I am a good worker. Before all this mess I was at a place for 15 years. Working my way up. Then Boom. Strangest thing is I don't seem to see anything of mosvo. I just keep to my SHPO and know that one day they will come knocking like they used too. But so far, nothing. Dunno if it's funding or what. I feel like maybe ebay could be a route for me. I am trying to research it. Can't wait for it all to be over and then I can change my name and hopefully have a fresh start.  

Could I ask what free computer courses you did? Yeah lucky I have two online games that soak up a lot of time. But i'm getting to that stage where I feel bad for sitting there all day playing. I actually want to be constructive. haha. Feel like in my self I have earnt my free time. If that makes sense. 

Microsoft do some free courses. Microsoft Learn | Microsoft Docs They seem to have relaunched it since I did it. I logged in and apparently I'm 32% through an Azure course, but my profile is not showing any of my previous courses!

The Linux foundation has some free courses. Resources - Linux Foundation - Training

And for self learning W3Schools is good. They do paid courses but you can learn most things by reading their reference sections and exercises.

Thank a lot for the information. Hopefully that will keep me busy. 

I can't add much to what the people above me have. I can add my sympathy and I certainly empathise with the struggle. 
I have the internal struggle of doing some courses only to be found I'll never get past a DBS even when spent. As Punter touched on, it's often about contacts, and I feel we're put in a difficult position, especially while unspent, because it feels like you have to hide/not be wholly truthful.
I'm self-employed and I started talking to a chap in a shop who was on his phone and I overheard he needed help with something, so I started chatting to him.
I did some work and invoiced him and it was all fine... but the guilt and paranoia, as I was/am Googlable, was a lot to deal with. I'd feel awful if his business was affected by being exposed to having links to the labels attached to my conviction. We got on well which increased the feeling of I had to make a decision whether to disclose or quit. Or maybe I could have carried on, who knows. But I chose to quit.
Imagine if it blew up, it's very easy to say afterward "you should have..." but maybe that's a ruthlessness versus conscience debate. Any input here is welcome!
I share this story because I didn't have anyone to ask about what to do, who would have the right answer anyway? I still wouldn't know what to suggest to someone who would find themself in this exact position because there are so many individualised circumstances to each of our situations. I feel these scenarios we find ourselves in, especially in terms of employment, can quite often feel like nobody else is going through this. 
So while it's very easy for probation/groups helping ex-offenders to give advice about being self-employed, it's still tricky because the strength of character and confidence you need to build up clients is certainly not easy, especially when we've just taken a mental battering in the CJS and, as I've found, the fragility around an unwanted fallout without disclosure.

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

Mr W…you would get through a basic DBS as they only show unspent convictions don’t they?