Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (as amended) helps rehabilitated ex-offenders back into work by allowing them not to declare criminal convictions after the rehabilitation period set by the Court has elapsed and the convictions become 'spent'. During the rehabilitation period, convictions are referred to as 'unspent' convictions and must be declared to employers.
The organisation aims to promote equality of opportunity and is committed to treating all applicants for volunteering roles fairly and on merit regardless of ethnicity, disability, age, gender or gender re-assignment, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity and marriage or civil partnership. The organisation undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against applicants on the basis of a criminal conviction or other information declared.
You are required to declare all current ‘unspent’ criminal convictions or cautions (including reprimands and final warnings). You are not required to disclose convictions or cautions which have become ‘spent’.
As part of assessing your application, organisations will only take into account relevant criminal record and other information declared which is relevant to the role being applied for.
Answering ‘yes’ to the question below will not necessarily bar you from becoming a volunteer. This will depend on the relevance of the information you provide in respect of the nature of the role for which you are applying and the particular circumstances.
If at interview stage it is agreed that you will be undertaking a role that requires a DBS check, you will be asked to disclose whether you are currently bound over or have any convictions or cautions (including warnings and reprimands) which are not deemed 'protected' under the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, issued by a Court or Court-Martial in the United Kingdom or in any other country. This form will be provided at the interview.