In reply to Clare Marie:

We're working on a guide for employers on supporting ex-offenders into employment with some case studies to be published mid-March. Will post on this thread as soon as ready.

Hi Ryan, the CIPD Trust is doing a lot of work in this area and we have lots of contacts which could be useful. Would love to talk to you about it. Do feel free to contact me sally.eley@cipd.co.uk

In reply to Derek Tong:

Thanks, Derek Tong 

In reply to Steve Bridger:

This week's CIPD Update newsletter asked this question...

In reply to Steve Bridger:

"Concerns about safety" ? Safety of what or who?

Some of the most common offences are Benefit Fraud, Theft, Shoplifting, Drug Offences Breach of Protective Order, Knife crime.

Knife crime is largely limited to gangs and drugs. Not something most workplaces have at work, and the other common offences are hardly a safety concern - are they?

I guess, 'once a criminal, always a criminal'.

Understand the different types of criminal disclosures: basic, standard, and enhanced. These checks provide relevant information for roles involving vulnerable people or sensitive data. Assess disclosure information on a case-by-case basis. Consider its relevance to the role and the candidate’s ability to perform duties. If red flags appear, allow candidates to explain their circumstances before making an informed hiring decision. Skyward FBISD

In reply to David Perry:

Ouch! Not sure the sub-postmasters/mistresses would agree .....?

In reply to Steve Bridger:

This is really interesting and I've had this conversation with my Heads of Department. They said "is it safe".

Obviously there is a risk with certain convictions, but during the recruitment process we'd have something called a "disclosure conversation" where the candidate writes their conviction and we can take a view on how that would impact.

One statistic that stood out to me at a hiring people with convictions workshop I attended was:

"There are over 12 million people in the uk with a conviction more serious than a driving offence".

If you don't conduct a DBS as a regular part of your recruitment process, and for hospitality business not many do, chances are you've already hired someone with a conviction.

In reply to Ryan:

Almost inevitable. I work in a highly regulated industry (education) where everyone has an enhanced DBS - but I've got several people employed with a criminal conviction in their past. If you understand the implications of a conviction, you can do a sensible risk assessment to see if it has any bearing on the job you're employing a person to do.

Small update from me on this.

I took my Line Managers for a visit to meet the Prison Employement Lead (PEL) yesterday and meet a couple of the inmates who are using the employment hub in their final weeks before release. Feedback from them was really inspiring, it was great to see this click where the concept of an "offender" turns into "Bob, who I've just had a chat with and listened to their story"

If you're interested in exploring this route form a recruitment or an ESG perspective, I cannot stress enough, get in touch with the New Futures Network and arrange a visit to meet the PEL at your local facility.

I also spoke with Sally Eley (can't find her to tag) from the CIPD Trust. They're working on some great resources and support for employers who want to know more about this topic and hopefully expanding the mentoring program to include prison leavers. I'd encourage you to get in touch with her as well to find out more about their work, she shared her contact details earlier in the thread.

In reply to Ryan:

Ryan... your post is itself inspiring. Thank you.

So glad you were able to speak with Sally 

It's been a while since I posted on here. So, I thought I'd share an update.

First off, I attended FOW over the last couple of days, big shout out to @sallyeley and the CIPD Trust for their “Beyond the Gates” panel and knowledge share session. I also met Jacob from Offploy, I’d highly recommend giving them a shout if you’re interested in this area, they’re doing some amazing work and can offer some real practical and technical advice for employers.

We've been working with a charity called Only a Pavement Away and have been advertising on their job’s boards. I've made the commitment that any suitable candidates that come through their job boards will automatically receive an interview and constructive feedback for me to share with the support worker. My HODs and I are due to run a workshop at HMPYOI Feltham around CV writing and interview skills with Only a Pavement Away, I'll share more on that next month. 

So far, we've had a few interviews but not made a hire yet. Ultimately line managers have the final decision on recruitment and there's still a bit of coaching to be done to get over the stigma of employing an "ex-offender". I’ve had to push back quite a bit on some of the lack luster feedback I’ve received, but we’re getting there. I’m hopeful this exercise will filter over into our general recruitment practices but baby steps.    

The biggest barrier for everyone involved is that inmates don’t know where they will be released until quite late in the 12 weeks prior to release which, for us is difficult due to our single site. Being released into the Greater London area is a challenge as the commute could be impractical for potential candidates.

We're now exploring ROTL (Release on Temporary License or “day release”) due to our proximity to Feltham HMPYOI, we may not be able to employ someone on release as they don't release into the local community but we can offer some practical hands on work experience to some of the men and I’ve committed that I would happily act as a reference for anyone who works with us as part of the scheme if we cannot offer them a role on release.

I’d also like to share something I wish I’d been told back in September. The prison system moves very slowly, so you will need to be patient and chase a bit to get things moving.

I keep saying it, if you’re interested in this topic, go, and speak to the PEL (Prison Employment Lead) and arrange a visit to see the work the New Futures Network are doing. The CIPD Trust can help you get in touch.

In reply to Ryan:

Hi Ryan,

Thanks as always for the very insightful feedback and tips. I didn't get to Festival of Work this year, but it sounded like it was a hit.

In reply to Ryan:

Hi Ryan, it was lovely to meet you at Festival of Work and great to hear that you're making progress!

If anyone is interested in learning more about recruiting people with convictions you can read the CIPD Trust guide here. If you would like to connect with other organisations (such as the New Futures Network Ryan mentions above) or other employers working on this please get in touch with the Trust here.

In reply to Steve Bridger:

Hi Steve, Could you please provide a link to this document? I'm currently beginning my final dissertation module, focusing on how cultural attitudes influence rehabilitation-friendly HR recruitment strategies in the UK, and this could be an insightful reference. Thank you