Tameside Council policy on the employment of ex-offenders

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council is striving to be an effective Equal Opportunities Employer. It recruits, trains and promotes all employees, volunteers, foster carers and similar groups according to their abilities, the needs of the job and similar objective and relevant factors.

We will take criminal records into account for recruitment purposes only when the conviction is relevant. Unless the nature of the work demands it of you we will not ask you to disclose convictions which are "spent" under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Having an "unspent" conviction will not necessarily bar you from employment with the Council. This will depend on the circumstances and background to your offence(s).

We would assess this on a case by case basis, but convictions for sexual offences, violence (including carrying a weapon), dishonesty, drugs and alcohol offences would be viewed as significant. We would also consider the time since the offence was committed and the number of convictions. Your offences may need to be discussed with you as part of an assessment.

Some jobs will involve working with children or other vulnerable groups. The type of role you would be playing in relation to these people would be taken into account. The Government has set up the Criminal Records Bureau that will let the Council check on the criminal record of people applying for these roles, before it confirms a final offer. This will include all convictions, spent and unspent and if the job has especially close contact, details of any police cautions, reprimands or final warnings.