As a charity set up by people with criminal records, Unlock is committed to fair recruitment and the inclusion of people with lived experience of the criminal justice system. Our recruitment policy has helped us do that but we believe every organisation should regularly review their policies and practices to make sure they’re as effective

Below is a statement from Christopher Stacey, co-director of Unlock, following the tragic events of Friday 30th November at London Bridge. “Last Friday, the work of our friends and colleagues at Learning Together was thrust into the spotlight in the very worst way. Our thoughts are with them and their families. “The transformational power of

We’ve just published our update for November 2019. This months update includes: Examples of templates which can be used to challenge an ineligible check being carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service. A link to a survey asking users of our Information Hub for their thoughts and opinions about the site. A personal story

We are delighted to publish our Annual Report and Accounts for the year 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019. Reviewing a whole year of activity can be a demanding process. Our activities are always taking us forwards, driving us on to the next challenge, so to take a step away, look back and reflect,

We’re delighted that one of Unlock’s long-standing helpline volunteers, Simon, was shortlisted for the Helpline Partnership’s ‘Helpline Volunteer of the Year’ award. On hearing the news, Simon said: “I’m delighted to have been shortlisted for the Helpline Partnership ‘Volunteer of the year’ award. As much as this is recognition that the work I do for

We’ve just published our update for October 2019. This months update includes: An update on the new costs of all Disclosure and Barring checks. A personal story highlighting Lucy’s success in getting a newspaper to remove an article relating to her conviction. A link to a discussion on theForum around a probation officer’s insistence that

Evidence shows that some groups are disproportionately criminalised: care leavers, people from low income households and some ethnic groups. Despite education being widely recognised as a key factor in successful rehabilitation, admissions policies to date have presented psychological and practical challenges to access. When UCAS removed the criminal convictions tick box for applicants to non-regulated

Trailblazing UK universities are leading the way in helping people with convictions access higher education by signing the ‘Fair Chance for Students with Convictions’ pledge. The pledge is the result of a 12-month project conducted by Unlock, a charity for people with convictions, and supported by the UPP Foundation, a charity founded by University Partnerships

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

Today we’ve published our autumn 2019 newsletter. The newsletter provides an update of the news at Unlock in the last three months. It’s sent to everyone who’s on our public mailing list, and we hope it’s a useful way of keeping up to date with what we’ve been up to. Read: Autumn 2019 Newsletter  Previous

Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment Advising with Conviction – Full-day Training Workshop Tuesday 26 November 2019  SORRY – SOLD OUT London| 9.30am – 4.45pm | Waiting list available Advising with Conviction – Full-day Training Workshop Wednesday 26 February 2020 London| 9.30am – 4.45pm | From £139 per person – Book your place

Looking back over the last couple of months, we’ve written up a few examples of the people we’ve helped. We hope they give a good idea of how we help people. However, more importantly than our role, we think that these examples show how people with convictions are able to overcome some of the barriers