Why using a “sample policy on recruiting ex-offenders” is bad for business

“How do you deal with applicants with a criminal record?” That’s a common question we ask of employers. The answer varies; sometimes, they’re quite proactive; other times, they don’t really know. Often, we’re pointed to their ‘policy’. Great, you might think. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of employers with a policy in place have simply copied […]

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Unlock publish toolkit to help local authorities ban the box

Delivering everything from social care, housing and planning and waste collection, to licensing, registrar services and pest control, local authorities need to recruit for vast and varied needs. With 343 local authorities in England and 22 in Wales the sector provides employment for more than 2 million people. Every employer wants to recruit the best […]

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NCVO publish guidance on safely recruiting staff, volunteers and trustees

NCVO offers advice and support for voluntary organisations on a range of subjects. From information on setting up a charity to developing effective teams, the site is full of helpful tools and resources. This week, NCVO have published their safeguarding resources. Developed collaboratively by an NCVO-led partnership, they outline the steps that voluntary organisations in […]

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Asking applicants to self-disclose can be deemed excessive, says ICO

Last month we published research that showed almost three-quarters of employers ask about criminal records at application stage. Being asked to self-disclose puts off applicants. Unlock encourages employers to consider whether they need to ask about criminal records at all. If you need to ask, questions should be targeted – for example, only asking at […]

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New guidance published to support employers with GDPR, data protection and processing criminal records in recruitment

Today we have published new guidance to support employers to ensure that their policies and practices on collecting criminal records data during recruitment is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. The guidance makes it clear that collecting criminal records at the initial application stage is unlikely to be […]

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