I have a criminal record will the FSA approve me?

Bonam25

Hi,

I was convicted of assault back in early 2003, and was sentenced to 6 months in prison. 8 years on and having tried to put my life back together as best I can, I'm now thinking of pursuing a career in financial advice. Actually, I've already started studying for the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning. However, I've just discovered that the FSA requires disclosure of all criminal convictions-spent & unspent.

So, does anybody know if the FSA is likely to approve me? And, has anybody had experience of trying to find work in the financial advice sector with a criminal record?

To be frank, this is 'worrying me to death'. When I was convicted back in 2003 I was a secondary school teacher, and subsequently left the profession because I knew that even if I was permitted to continue teaching, the conviction would remain a major 'blot on my copy book'. (I should point out that the violent incident concerned was drink related and nothing to do with school or children.) I desperately wanted to move forward and try to put things, as much as possible, behind me, so I left teaching. After doing 'bits & pieces' for the last 8 years, I've now found something that I really want to do, but this realisation that my past could stand in my way once again, has completely demoralised me.

Any information and/or advice that you could give me would be much appreciated.

Uncertain

Bonam25 wrote: »

So, does anybody know if the FSA is likely to approve me? And, has anybody had experience of trying to find work in the financial advice sector with a criminal record?

I'm afraid I don't know but surely the thing to do is to ask the FSA the first question and get a definitive answer.

Obviously if it is "no" then that is the end of the matter.

If it is "yes" (or yes with restrictions) then the next step is to try and find out how difficult it would make finding a job in the real world.

Although this is the employment section you may get a better response on this particular question in the Savings and Investments section as there are several very helpful IFAs who post there on a regular basis.

Cyril

Having been regulated by the FSA for many years, although they were a while ago, you had to complete a ' fit and proper' status questionnaire and i'm not sure you'd qualify.

Might be worth checking up to date information though.

InsideInsurance

The FIT manual is not explicit, the details can be found http://fsahandbook.info/FSA/html/handbook/FIT/2/1, as it says any conviction but explicitly calls out crimes about honest, investment or financial service institutes.

Ultimately a call to them is your best bet.

InsideInsurance

Where is there any mention of drink at all?

Given the OP says they were charged with assault which I would therefore assume they technically mean common assault, they were given the maximum sentence possible which would strongly suggest there were multiple aggregating factors - current sentencing guidelines would be a fine if no aggregating factors and community service if there is one, prison only is there where there are two or more with no mitigating factors.

I do believe in giving people a second chance, that people can change and that without rehabilitation you create a downward spiral. In this case we clearly dont know the details of the offence and certainly there is insufficient information to say that they shouldn't have had to give up teaching!

QuackQuack_2

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Where is there any mention of drink at all?!

Right here:

Bonam25 wrote: »

(I should point out that the violent incident concerned was drink related and nothing to do with school or children.)

Either we have a rehabilitation of offenders act or we don't! We can't 'half' have one.

If a 'rehabilitated' offender goes on to offend again that's the time to take his or her past into consideration - not when they are trying to find work to support themselves.

Naturally sex offenders are a different type of beast, but that is why there is a sex offenders register to cover them.

The whole CRB / vetting system is totally screwed. A knee-jerk reaction to the crimes of Ian Huntley - a man who, it is said, would have passed an enhanced CRB check if they had existed at that point in time anyway.

dandelionclock30

My friend- a woman has convictions for assault and benefit fraud, she has worked with vulnerable adults in day care and also with a company trying to get people with drug problems work.She now works with Working Links helping the unemployed. So you can teach adults if you have a conviction of assault.
Re working with schoolchildren, it appears to be stricter.I dont know if they will have you with any convictions/cautions now!

Bonam25

Hi, my conviction was for 'actual bodily harm' ABH. I was given 6 months, but only spent 7 weeks in jail.

I gave up teaching because I knew that even if I was permitted to continue teaching, it would 'come up' throughout my career. And, it terms of trying to move forward and put things behind me, I didn't want this to happen.

I now realise that with financial services, I'm going to be in a similar situation regarding disclosure though

HappyMJ

Bonam25 wrote: »

Hi, my conviction was for 'actual bodily harm' ABH. I was given 6 months, but only spent 7 weeks in jail.

I gave up teaching because I knew that even if I was permitted to continue teaching, it would 'come up' throughout my career. And, it terms of trying to move forward and put things behind me, I didn't want this to happen.

I now realise that with financial services, I'm going to be in a similar situation regarding disclosure though

It will always "come up" with any job to do with an crb but as it was so long ago your record has been clean since it was a one off then you just have to explain all of that and it should be OK. You need to ask them.

eamon

And heaven help you should you tarnish the reputation of the FSA! Just a shame that commited a "physical crime" as opposed to a "money crime", you would then have fitted in perfectly, but then again perhaps not ......... you got caught.

Anyway in a serious note you should ask the FSA before you spend much more time, effort & money. Best of luck.

F_T_Buyer

HappyMJ wrote: »

It will always "come up" with any job to do with an crb but as it was so long ago your record has been clean since it was a one off then you just have to explain all of that and it should be OK. You need to ask them.

As the OP only spent 7weeks in prison, it would come under the Rehabilitations act and therefore is now spent.

I'm not sure about the FSA, and the question the OP asks, but once approved he would not need to declare it when applying for a job, he can legitimately say 'No' to "Have you a criminal conviction?"

http://www.lawontheweb.co.uk/Road_Traffic_Law/Rehabiliation_of_Offenders_Act

Op, I think you apply to the FSA and take it from there.