Finding out own criminal record

dux001

What's the easiest way to do this?

The situation is this - I am applying for a job in IT at a school in Northern England. Obviously this requires enhanced CRB checks.

I had a 12 month conditional discharge for ABH after someone attacked me in the shop I was running and I hit him in retaliation. (He also got done for affray but that's irrelevant - Judge accepted my self defence argument hence the discharge).

I know this is intended to show up on enhanced CRB checks but I want to check because disclosing this for a job in a school (even though I am not actually directly teaching or working with the pupils) will almost certainly scupper the application.

Therefore I need to check my own criminal record...just a simple basic check will do, to see if it's definitely still there or not, as it's a simple matter so it will either show up or not regardless of the level of the check...it's not "hidden" in any way. How do I go about this?

Incidentally, note that I'm not after moral judgements...I know honesty is the best policy etc but in this case it means (I would imagine) that I probably won't get the job so I need to weigh up the pros and cons seeing as I'm not about to murder anyone etc.

orangeslimes

You can apply for a basic disclosure certificate from Disclosure Scotland for £23.

Darksun

Bear in mind that if you fail to disclose it on your application, and you were later found it, it can be grounds for immediate termination

Intastella

Maybe if you're straight with them upfront and explai the circumstances surrounding it they might support you. If they find out later (and more often than not, these things do get out), they'll most likely assume that you were convicted of just being a thug, and any explaination will be too little, too late. Also, that could have an impact on the next job, having 'sacked for gross misconduct' following you around...something else to either hide or explain away.

Good luck, whatever you decide

dux001

Thanks everyone.
I looked at Disclosure Scotland but this only enables me to apply for a basic disclosure which will only list unspent convictions. I know I have none of these. I need to find out about spent ones.

maninthestreet

dux001 wrote: »

Thanks everyone.
I looked at Disclosure Scotland but this only enables me to apply for a basic disclosure which will only list unspent convictions. I know I have none of these. I need to find out about spent ones.

So how many criminal convictions do you think you might have, either spent or unspent? Surely you must know how many times you've been convicted - or have you lost count?

dux001

maninthestreet wrote: »

So how many criminal convictions do you think you might have, either spent or unspent? Surely you must know how many times you've been convicted - or have you lost count?

Hardly world challenging stuff and all more than ten years old, but I need to find out the exact position before I declare them - I don't want to declare something that's wrong or doesn't exist.

Additionally I could do with some advice from someone who deals with this sort of thing as to whether these sort of convictions and timescales *would* scupper an application for someone "back office" in a school.

churchrat

I don't think I understand what you want to find.
Are you hoping that the conviction will not show up on your CRB? and if it does not, you intend not to disclose it?

The whole point of the enhanced crb is that ALL convictions will show up. If they are missed by accident it is still an offence for you not to mention it. I don't think that it will help you to see it, tbh.

As has already been said, if you do get the job and it later comes out that you have a conviction, not only will you lose the job, but you could be in for another conviction for failing to disclose. This does happen, I looked after an offender a couple of yrs ago who failed to disclose a theft from an employer, and his new employer did report him. He recieved a 2 yr sentence, which was higher than his sentence for the theft.

I would apply for the job and be upfront on the form and perhaps add something like "exceptional circumstances were found, and that I would be glad to discuss this at interview." NACRO gives advice about how to fill in application forms, as does the probation service, who might offer advice if you call them. Some jobcentre plus also have advisors for exoffenders.

goodluck with this, please don't be tempted to lie on the form.
churchrat

E2A--I type so slowly that our posts crossed!!!!

Forgot to add that there are a lot of local charities that offer this sort of advice, don't mean the CAB, although they can sometimes be helpful. If you look at your local council website they may have a list of local advice centres.

dux001

churchrat wrote: »

I don't think I understand what you want to find.
Are you hoping that the conviction will not show up on your CRB? and if it does not, you intend not to disclose it?

The whole point of the enhanced crb is that ALL convictions will show up. If they are missed by accident it is still an offence for you not to mention it. I don't think that it will help you to see it, tbh.

As has already been said, if you do get the job and it later comes out that you have a conviction, not only will you lose the job, but you could be in for another conviction for failing to disclose. This does happen, I looked after an offender a couple of yrs ago who failed to disclose a theft from an employer, and his new employer did report him. He recieved a 2 yr sentence, which was higher than his sentence for the theft.

I would apply for the job and be upfront on the form and perhaps add something like "exceptional circumstances were found, and that I would be glad to discuss this at interview." NACRO gives advice about how to fill in application forms, as does the probation service, who might offer advice if you call them. Some jobcentre plus also have advisors for exoffenders.

goodluck with this, please don't be tempted to lie on the form.
churchrat

E2A--I type so slowly that our posts crossed!!!!

Forgot to add that there are a lot of local charities that offer this sort of advice, don't mean the CAB, although they can sometimes be helpful. If you look at your local council website they may have a list of local advice centres.

Thanks. I certainly don't intend to lie but by the same token I don't want to disclose something that's potentially worse than it actually is, or indeed wrong.

churchrat

In that case, I would advise a visit to NACRO, you can google them for your area.

good luck

dux001

I have discovered you can do a subject access request from the police, though this can take 40 days which may be too long.