Rehabilitation of Offenders

Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders & Disclosure Flowcharts

Red Kite Learning Trust, is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

• As an organisation using the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) to assess applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, Red Kite Learning Trust complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice andundertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly. They undertake not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of conviction or other information revealed.
• Red Kite Learning Trust is committed to the fair treatment of their staff, potential staff or users of their services, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependants, age, physical/mental disability or offending background.
• We have a written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders, which is made available to all Disclosure applicants at the outset of the recruitment process.
• 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 is only requested after a thorough risk assessment has indicated that one is both proportionate and relevant to the position concerned. 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 in the event of the individual being offered the position.
• All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected'. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website or see here.
• Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. You may be asked for further information about your criminal history during the recruitment process. If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure & Barring Service before your appointment is confirmed.
• We ensure that all those in Red Kite Learning Trust who are involved in the recruitment process have been suitably trained to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences. We also ensure that they have received appropriate guidance and training in the relevant legislation relating to the employment of ex-offenders, e.g. the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act1974.
• 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 matter that might be relevant to the position. Failure to reveal information that is directly relevant to the position sought could lead to the withdrawal of an offer of employment.
• We make every subject of a Disclosure aware of the existence of the DBS Code of Practice and make a copy available on request.
• We undertake to discuss any matter revealed in a Disclosure with the person seeking the position before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.
• Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us; this will depend on the nature of the position, the circumstances and background of your offence/s.