I've made this thread sticky. Feel free to set up a separate one for 'Organisations helping'....

Because of the nature of any forum, I think it's important we 'drag' the useful links posted on here into something that is free of chat/discussion. Any takers for producing an Info Hub document/page?

As for Richard Branson / theRecord - feel free. Erica has recently moved on from theRecord, but we've got a very impressive [interim] replacement, Haj, still to be reached at the same email.

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Need information/advice?

1.       Visit our online Information Hub, including Frequently Asked Questions, Publications, and Links at www.unlock.org.uk

2.       Ask the community at forum.unlock.org.uk

3.       Contact our Helpline

Use our online form:          www.unlock.org.uk/staticpage.aspx?pid=160

Email us:                                advice@unlock.org.uk

Call us:                                   01634 247350 (Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9am to 5pm)

Write to us:                           IAS, Unlock, 35a High Street, Snodland, Kent, ME6 5AG

Need Unlocks advice? Visit our self-help information site or contact our helpline

Moo - feel free to contact Working Chance. Outside of the Forum, Unlock know Working Chance well - I know Jocelyn Hillman (their Chief) is really committed to this cause.

I think, for this thread, it might be worth separating two things - while every company 'employs' people, primarily for the sake of information it might be worth separating out employers who 'employ' people with convictions, but their core business could be anything, and organisations who 'help' people with convictions find employment. While the latter group may also 'employ' people, their core business model is to help people find work. That's where Working Chance fit in (they're a bit like a recruitment agency), as well as Shaw Trust. People like Timpsons and Greggs are in the other group.

Maybe two threads?

In fact, if somebody wanted to take on the task, it'd great if we could pull together all the information shared on here, as well as doing further research, to help create a Info Hub page on Proactive Employers - I made a start a long time ago @ www.unlock.org.uk/xoffenders.aspx?sid=272 but never got round to actually populating it - there's load of info out there, and while it's true to say (like we do in the into on the above page) that just because as employer has a specific project somewhere, it doesn't mean it runs across the entire company, it's better to at least have all this information in one place?

As for people who 'help' (like Working Chance), we feature these on our Hub in pages 2 and 3 in this list - unlock.org.uk/staticpage.aspx?pid=221#employment_volunteering - again, we welcome suggestions/additions for this.

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Need information/advice?

1.       Visit our online Information Hub, including Frequently Asked Questions, Publications, and Links at www.unlock.org.uk

2.       Ask the community at forum.unlock.org.uk

3.       Contact our Helpline

Use our online form:          www.unlock.org.uk/staticpage.aspx?pid=160

Email us:                                advice@unlock.org.uk

Call us:                                   01634 247350 (Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9am to 5pm)

Write to us:                           IAS, Unlock, 35a High Street, Snodland, Kent, ME6 5AG

Post Edited (Christopher Stacey) : 23/01/2013 21:57:01 GMT

Need Unlocks advice? Visit our self-help information site or contact our helpline

Hi All,

I'm still here, and agree that it's great people are adding to this.

I think the best thing to do is to keep adding to the list by copying/adding, then when we've got a substantial number of additions, I'll update the Hub.

One thing that might be worth considering, to add more value to the page on the Hub, is to give more than just a link, and actually provide a little paragraph about each employers work in this area, just so that people don't ping off into various directions before knowing why.

Also, Apex Trust shut their helpline in June 2012. Think they still have a project in Liverpool, but that (and similar 'useful orgs' would sit on the separate page that I mentioned. Feel free to continue to add here - I can split them up when I update.

---

Need information/advice?

1.       Visit our online Information Hub, including Frequently Asked Questions, Publications, and Links at www.unlock.org.uk

2.       Ask the community at forum.unlock.org.uk

3.       Contact our Helpline

Use our online form:          www.unlock.org.uk/staticpage.aspx?pid=160

Email us:                                advice@unlock.org.uk

Call us:                                   01634 247350 (Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9am to 5pm)

Write to us:                           IAS, Unlock, 35a High Street, Snodland, Kent, ME6 5AG

Need Unlocks advice? Visit our self-help information site or contact our helpline

All I would say is, if they look like they're proceeding with the formal basic disclosure, make sure you get in there first with disclosing your record (assuming the ROA changes haven't come in). Depending on the process of Verifile, you might get sent the disclosure, or it might go directly to the company.

Need Unlocks advice? Visit our self-help information site or contact our helpline

They've been very clear that any job offer will be subject to a pre-employment check by a company called Verifile that they use specifically to do background screening including a Disclosure (Scotland) check so I know it's coming!

Oh well, let's wait and see, it may be like the last job offer I got (which prompted my interview in the "Going Straight" book) where the disclosure I made by letter attached to the "question" didn't even get commented on after I'd spent weeks worrying about it!

Hi, I notice that National Grid are listed here, do we have any specific contacts with them or know about their specific policy?

I only ask because they use an external company to vet applicants and they've asked me to sign the consent form for a search etc but, so far, they've not asked me to disclose. It's particularly worrying as I'm one of the people who's conviction will be spent as soon as the changes to the RoOA come in but are still unspent today.

I'd actually quite like to disclose so they can turn me down early if necessary rather than get my hopes up but, until they ask me, I have no idea how to start the conversation! I just thought there might be a way to get the information (and my side of things) to them before they just get a vetting report with it plastered all over?

yes he has! ta. I'm not sure if 'ex offenders' includes ex sex offenders tho

Post Edited (forever changes) : 22/01/2013 23:01:05 GMT

Hi Stig,

Sorry to hear that you've been suspended. In this situation you've not declared when asked and then they have said they will check. I wonder if it would have been different if you had declared to begin with when initially aksed? What I'm saying is M&S may not have been so harsh had they been aware. Unfortunately what they see now is someone with a criminal record who has also lied. It's a horrid situation. I started another thread which is listing employers who have pulled a job offer when disclosure was made when the question was asked. I think this slightly different as you didn't disclose when asked the first time. I hope it works out - they may review the matter and reinstate you.

From another post Stig quoted M&S "The main issues are around unspent convictions. If a young person has an unspent conviction they will need to be willing to declare this. ... M&S Head office will decide whether the placement can
go ahead or not you will be notified of their response."

There is a move to prevent standard or enhanced checks being asked for illegally and also SARs. See this ico.org.uk/news/blog/2014/Key-battle-won-in-war-against-forced-subject-access-request

GasGasGas,

Can we add the Co- operative Group to the list as I know someone with unspent convictions who works for them after declaring.