The recruitment of ex offenders

As an organisation using the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) to assess applicant’s suitability for positions of trust, we comply fully with the DBS Code of Practice and undertake to treat all applicants for positions fairly.  We undertake not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed.

We are committed to the fair treatment of our staff, potential staff or users of our services, regardless of race gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependents, age, physical/mental disability or offending background.

This is our written policy on the recruitment of ex offenders, which is available to all applicants on our website.

We actively promote equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential and welcome applications from a wide range of candidates, including those with criminal records. We select all candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is only requested by Six Town Housing after a thorough assessment against the eligibility criteria prescribed by legislation. For those positions where a Disclosure is required, all application forms, job adverts, and recruitment briefs will contain a statement that a Disclosure will be requested.

Unless the nature of the position allows us to ask questions about your entire criminal records, we only ask about ‘unspent’ convictions as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

We encourage applicants for such posts to provide details of their criminal record which are not protected in law at an early stage in the application process. Details of which convictions are protected are available from the DBS website.

We ensure that all those within the organisation who are involved in the recruitment process have the knowledge to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences.

At interview, or in a separate discussion, we ensure that an open and measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matters that might be relevant to the position.  Failure to reveal information that is directly relevant to the position sought could lead to a withdrawal of an offer of employment.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar individuals from working in specific industries. It will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of your offences.

A statement regarding our handling of conviction-related information is available in our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants which is published on our website.