At The HR World’s webinar, Employing Ex-offenders: don’t lock out 1 in 4 candidates, our accomplished and knowledgable panel discussed ideas and practicalities around the employment of people with convictions.
Taking part in the discussion were Lisa McAteer, Regional Social Impact Manager Cymru/Wales & Southwest, Balfour Beatty, Beckie Rowland-Turner, Fresh Start Manager, Greggs, webinar sponsor Offploy’s Founder, Jacob Hill and their Training and Advocacy Manager, Rik Willis. The resulting webinar (and podcast) is full of great ideas, tips and outcomes, but there wasn’t time for everything to be covered. Consequently, here are a few questions posed to the panellists by way of follow-up:
1: How do you manage people with convictions as they progress through your organisation? Do you have a clear career structure for them and is it any different from other employees? Do you need to take specific steps as people assume more responsibility?
Beckie Rowland-Turner: Once someone has joined Greggs they have the same opportunities for progression as any other employee. They continue to have 1-2-1 support and contact with me if they need anything.
Lisa MacAteer: Like all other employees, people who come through our Prison leaver pathway or direct hires who may have criminal convictions are supported in their careers aspirations, personal and professional development through our Personal Development Bi-annual reviews, and Monthly one to ones with the line manager. In addition, if prison leavers are employed through Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) they will receive support from a mentor – a BB employee who is skilled and equipped to deal with the more routine day-to-day enquiries and basic pastoral support, and specialist wrap-around support from our Community partner Inside Connections. If people are connected via Offploy then they too receive bespoke wrap-around support. Data protection rules mean that we cannot and do not flag or track direct hires. Treat each person as an individual, and tailor support to meet the individual’s needs.
2: I’d like to hear more about if, and how, Beckie and Lisa’s organisations employ individuals with more challenging convictions. Is it possible to do it on a case by case basis and if so how does this work in reality?
Rik Willis: We would always encourage employers to consider individual applicants on a case-by-case basis. Blanket bans on offence types make no sense when children may be criminalised for sharing explicit pictures of themselves with their peers and Hugh Grant has a sexual conviction. Better by far to consider the individual in front of you and their suitability for the role. Offploy never says that employers should take everyone with a conviction; you have the right to say ‘no’ but an assessment of the risk posed and the individual’s commitment to rehabilitate is key.
Lisa McAteer: People at all levels within an organisation can (and do) have pre-conceived ideas, and overt or hidden bias, particularly concerning certain crimes, usually violent crimes, sex offences, crimes involving children and terrorism. A programme of discovery, learning and myth busting has been introduced (with Offploy’s support) to demonstrate that each individual is different and should be assessed on their own merit and suitability. We have arranged for senior leaders to visit prisons and work with groups inside prison to build their employment skills. We have also asked our support organisations to deliver workshops, by people with lived experience for colleagues at all levels.
For our pathway to work, we have chosen to concentrate our work on Cat D Prisons, these are the prisons where employment is a focus, and the people have either demonstrated good behaviours over a number of years, or who have been risk assessed as having low risk to themselves and others and a ‘low level’ criminal conviction. Each person is risk assessed against the role on offer using specialists to support this step, and to review our processes and upskill our colleagues. As an organisation that is safety critical, we are clear that there is a zero tolerance to drug use and violence (verbal or physical). We don’t blanket ban, but particularly at this early stage in our pathway journey (and ease of google search) we are cognisant that the culture may not be ready to accept people who have committed what may be perceived as the most serious crimes. We work closely with our support organisations and with the prisons to carefully assess the cohort of applicants.
Direct hires who come through Offploy are matched and assessed by them using their expertise. You are within your legal rights to decline to offer employment to people with unspent serious convictions following assessment of suitability for the role.
Beckie Rowland-Turner: Yes, it is on a case-by-case decision. Sometimes the person’s situation and the reasons for getting involved in the crime can have a massive impact on why it happens. We break it into three sections.
1: What the situation was at the time (e.g. Where they are homeless, on drugs, victims of domestic abuse).
2: What has happened since the conviction, what have they done, have they done victim awareness courses, therapy or nothing.
3: What is the situation now. Are they off drugs, are they away from the people that they engaged with the activity, are they living in a new location etc.
