United Kingdom (05 November 2010) – PeopleChecking, a service dedicated to offering employee background checks and employment screening services, comment on how the Change the Record report could affect the procedures currently involved with criminal background checks.
Nacro, a crime-reduction charity, have released a report calling for a reform of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, as part of their plan to make it easier for people with criminal convictions to get a job. With support from former Conservative cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken, Nacro have hopes to reduce reoffending by up to half, and research has shown that this can be achieved by getting reformed offenders into work. That fact that around 25% of the male UK population has a criminal record it makes knowing what they are even more important and the use of criminal record checks in all roles imperative.
PeopleChecking believe that the potential reform of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act could considerably affect the current criminal records procedures in place, and influence the ways in which criminal background checks are carried out by employers.
“If this reform does take place, it will undoubtedly affect the extent of criminal background and general screening checks which take place for those ex-offenders with a desire to work with children, young people and vulnerable members of the population,” commented Mathew Armstrong, Head of Business Development at PeopleChecking. “We agree that the current legislation is in need of an overhaul in light of recent findings stating that 61% of people believe that telling their employers they have a criminal record is the most embarrassing thing to reveal, and that getting ex-offenders back into work and removing the stigma attached to them is necessary for the achievement of a more equal society. We predict that should this reform occur, employers may be revoked the rights to perform certain types of background checks, and the team here at PeopleChecking will continue to follow any news regarding any new developments in the reform and update our existing and potential clients accordingly.”
To find out more about PeopleChecking and the employment screening services they provide, visit their website at: http://www.peoplechecking.com/ or telephone 0800 035 0545
About PeopleChecking:
NorthgateArinso PeopleChecking is the leading provider of candidate online individual background checks and employment solutions in the UK. PeopleChecking provide a service enabling organisations to confirm that recruits (and existing employees) are who they say they are, have the experience and qualifications they claim to have and are eligible to work in this country.
Contact:
Mathew Armstrong
NorthgateArinso PeopleChecking,
Thorpe Park
Thorpe Road
Peterborough
PE3 7JT
Tel: 0800 035 0545
Fax: 01733 312 347
Email: hrsolutions@northgatearinso.com