New report highlights potentially hundreds of unlawful criminal record checks by employers each year
Friday, 31 July 2020
Unlock, a national advocacy charity for people with criminal records, has today published Checked out?, a report on so-called ‘ineligible’ criminal record checks, submitted by employers and processed by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 allows some criminal records to become spent after a crime-free period. This means they are no
Reforming the criminal records disclosure regime – Have you a sentence of over 4 years in prison?
Wednesday, 22 July 2020
We’ve published an updated briefing on reforming the criminal records disclosure regime and we want to hear from you if you have a conviction that can never become spent. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) means that most convictions can become spent after a period of years. Changes implemented in 2014 (through focused mainly on
- Published in Campaigns, Employment, Get involved, Latest, News & Media, Way ROA works
Has an employer wrongly carried out a standard or enhanced DBS check?
Saturday, 20 June 2020
As part of our fair access to employment project we’re gathering information on employers who have carried out standard or enhanced checks where only a basic is legally permitted. For some jobs, employers are allowed to consider cautions and spent convictions (unless they have been filtered). Employers recruiting for these jobs are legally permitted to
- Published in Ineligible checks, Stop ineligible checks, What DBS disclose
Blog – Looking to the future: incentivising employment of people with convictions
Monday, 01 June 2020
It’s fair to say 2020 has been a year of major change – and we’re only halfway through. Whether you’ve been adapting to home working, learning a new skill, or embracing your natural hair, we’re all dealing with change. That can be challenging but there’s a sense that this moment is a portal to the
- Published in Employment, Esmee, News & Media, Unlock publications, Unlock's blog
Unlock’s guest post for the Cabinet Office’s Life Chances blog
Friday, 20 March 2020
Going Forward into Employment is a government wide scheme providing employment opportunities in the civil service for people from a range of backgrounds. Prison leavers are one of the groups that can benefit from the scheme, and so far more than 30 people have taken up a civil service post after release. The Going Forward
- Published in Employer good practice, Employment, News & Media
Launch of #FairChecks – A fresh start for the criminal records system
Tuesday, 14 January 2020
Together with the charity Transform Justice, Unlock has launched the #FairChecks movement to help push for a fresh start for the criminal records system. Our outdated criminal records regime is holding hundreds of thousands of people back from participating fully in society. Even a minor criminal history can produce lifelong barriers to employment, volunteering, housing
Blog – Government publishes summary of responses to call for evidence on the employment of people with convictions
Thursday, 17 October 2019
Last week, more than a year since the consultation closed, the Cabinet Office published a summary of responses to their Call for Evidence (CfE) on employing people with convictions. But what does this summary of responses mean for the future? This blog looks at some of the promising signs, some areas for improvement, and questions
- Published in Ban the box, Employment, Employment discrimination, Latest, News & Media
Report backs tax breaks to employers that recruit people with convictions
Tuesday, 25 June 2019
Commenting on a report published today by Onward, Unlocking a Better life, Christopher Stacey, co-director of Unlock, said: “As things stand, although a prison sentence can end, the impact of a criminal conviction can be felt far beyond the conclusion of any sentence. People with convictions, and especially those leaving prison, face significant stigma and
- Published in Employment, Employment discrimination, Latest, News & Media, Press releases and comment
Bloomsbury Institute breaks new ground with ban the box for staff and students
Monday, 13 May 2019
Bloomsbury Institute becomes the first higher education provider to Ban the Box for all. Bloomsbury Institute in London is the first higher education provider in the UK to adopt Ban the Box principles for staff as well as students, a move that could encourage other universities to follow suit. The Ban the Box campaign is
- Published in Employment, Latest, Press releases and comment, Universities
Unlock speaks to Radio Sussex about the findings of it’s new report and how some employers may potentially be breaking the law
Thursday, 25 October 2018
Following the publication of Unlock’s A question of fairness report,Christopher Stacey speaks to Radio Sussex’s Danny Pike. The report finds that the vast majority of national companies continue to have criminal record declarations as a core part of their initial job application forms. By doing so, employers are not only potentially acting unlawfully but are also missing out
- Published in Ban the box, Employment, News & Media, News for employers, Unlock in the media
Almost three-quarters of national companies continue to ask about criminal records at job application stage, new research shows
Thursday, 25 October 2018
Unlock has today published new research that shows the vast majority of national companies continuing to have criminal record declarations as a core part of their initial job application forms. Marking the 5-year anniversary of the Ban the Box campaign, the findings reveal the extent to which national employers have failed to recognise the negative
Our submission to the government’s call for evidence on the employment of people with convictions
Friday, 31 August 2018
Today we have submitted our written response to the government’s call for evidence on the employment for people with convictions. Download our submission here. You can find out more about the call for evidence in our recent post to encourage others to get involved. Our submission draws on work that we’ve been doing as part
- Published in Ban the box, Employment, Employment discrimination, Latest, News & Media