Start where you are
Sobanan's story.
Sobanan Narenthiran was a medical student before he went to prison. He was released at 21.
He learned the skills employers wanted, and that made him stand out. Inside, he had met a lot of capable people who were shut out of the digital world.
With Pratik, now Breakthrough's Delivery Lead, he began teaching digital and money skills. He went on to lead Breakthrough Social Enterprise.
Today he is a social entrepreneur, an AI ethicist and the author of The Silicocene.
Your record is where your story began, not where it ends.
Employers who hire people with convictions
You are not stuck with the jobs nobody else wants.
Big, well-known employers run proper schemes to hire and train people with convictions. They do it because it works for them.
Employers worth knowing
Timpson
About 1 in 10 of their staff has a conviction. They train people in prison and hire on Release on Temporary Licence. Shop and service jobs across the UK.
Greggs (Fresh Start)
A training course for people with convictions, with a placement in a shop. The aim is a permanent job at the end.
Iceland (Second Chance)
A scheme that hires people with convictions into shop and warehouse jobs. The jobs are long term, not temporary.
Marks & Spencer (Marks & Start)
Work placements that can turn into permanent jobs. Charities support you while you are on the placement.
Halfords
They train people in prison to be vehicle technicians. You can get a recognised IMI qualification and a career after release.
These schemes include training. Ask your Breakthrough coach, prison employment lead or probation officer to refer you. Many start before you are released.
"Ban the Box" employers
Some employers have taken the criminal record tick-box off their application forms. Over a million jobs are covered.
You get judged on your skills first. Your record comes up later, with context. Look for the Ban the Box logo.
See the Ban the Box employer listPlaces that help you directly
- Offploy — Run by people with convictions. They have helped over 4,000 people into work, with a mentor.
- Unlock — Free, private advice about your record. Their calculator tells you when a conviction is spent.
- New Futures Network and Prison Employment Leads — If you are inside or just out, they can match you to real jobs.
- Bounce Back — Construction training and jobs, in prison and after release.
Your rights, in short
Know what you don't have to say.
Spent convictions usually stay private.
Most convictions become 'spent' after a set time with no reoffending. After that you can answer 'no' for most jobs.
Only tell them if they ask.
You do not have to bring it up. Never put it on your CV.
The type of check matters.
A basic DBS check only shows unspent convictions. Care, health and childcare jobs use fuller checks.
You can't be rejected automatically.
An employer should look at your skills first, then look at your record properly.
You can check your own record.
Ask the police for your record. Unlock's free calculator shows when a conviction is spent.
Free, private help exists.
Unlock's helpline can advise on your situation.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Check your own situation with an adviser.
Telling an employer about your record
This is not a confession. It's you giving the facts.
You give the facts in your own words. Done well, it moves the chat from what happened to who you are now.
Three things to know
- 01
You say less than you think
Most convictions become spent. Once spent, you do not have to mention them for most jobs. Check yours with Unlock's free calculator.
- 02
The check decides what shows
A basic check never shows spent convictions. Care, health and childcare jobs use fuller checks. Older minor offences are often filtered out.
- 03
Only when asked, never on your CV
Your CV is for your strengths. If a form asks, you can say you are happy to talk about it at interview.
What a good answer sounds like: the facts, briefly. Then what has changed. Then why you are right for the job.
Keep it to one page, in your own words, and end on a strength.
Guide: how to tell your storyOur Telling Your Story Well workbook takes you through it step by step. Ask your coach for a copy.