Would you trust someone with these convictions?

[goodbyeyellowbrick]

Would you trust a female who at age 17 got these two convictions -

• breach of the peace domestic
• assault to injury domestic

And then at 19 got these two convictions -

• communications act domestic
• drink driving

Would you trust her? She is 30 now and has had no issues with the law since and has seemed to turn her life around. Would you still think she was the same person though inherently?

[ItsDinah]

No.Not on the basis of the information you give. Nature, number and timespan of offences are disturbing and the excuse of being in a toxic relationship ( she was the one convicted of being toxic) is a bust.If this is the excuse she gives, it indicates she has not taken responsibility for her actions. Getting older is no a guarantee someone has changed. You don't,for example, age out of personality disorders.

[mooonstone]

I mean, I don’t know anyone who has convictions (my friends etc work in careers which require background checks) so it’s unlikely that I would associate with her. Most people get through their teens without police/court involvement.

However after a decade, she has probably changed. It’s more than enough time for her to turn her life around and change trajectory, which presumably she has if there’s no police involvement since.

It all depends on the context ultimately. Everyone’s free to choose who they want in their life though.

[justanotherneighinparadise]

Would I trust her with my child? Probably not. In every other regard I don’t see why not.

[mooonstone]

I think if she wants to work in social care and not be automatically rejected, she needs to be honest and not make excuses. She should prove her effort to change eg alcoholism treatment, if she’s going to use that as justification for her offending.

[Alonelonelyloner]

I would. She was a child/young adult.

I was in awful circumstances at her age, and came very close to having all those criminal convictions - through very little fault of my own.

I am now an upstanding, educated, 50% tax payer, with an appreciation that life can be hard and a change is made by people having faith in you.

[Livpool]

No I wouldn't- mostly because of drink driving

[Lockdownbear]

I would esp if the DD offence was after the limits were reduced to half of what England has. That could easily be morning after.

[TableFlowerss]

I must admit, I know of people from the past that are in job that I was rather surprised at shall we say. Same with seeing on FB that they’ve been accepted on a uni course, such as above and I’ve thought...

But, people grow up and sometimes we all do silly things and mess up. Doesn’t mean we’re destined for the scrap heap. She’s obviously worked hard so I’d give her the benefit of the doubt unless she gave me reason to think differently!

[poppycat10]

And this thread is exactly why DBS disclosures should be far more restricted than they are. The only spent convictions that should be disclosed are those relating to abuse or sexual offences (excluding peeing in public).

None of these convictions are relevant for any jobs except one on one care for a vulnerable person. And even then - 11 years ago when she was 19?

I am not very impressed with drunk driving, but you can't judge a 30 year old for something she did when she was 19.

People have to be allowed to move on. Spent should mean spent. And fishing expeditions should not be allowed - only certain jobs should be allowed to require a DBS check.

Those of you who think someone like this should be on the scrapheap - how do you propose they get the money to eat? You'd be the first to complain about "benefits scroungers".

[poppycat10]

@Lockdownbear

I would esp if the DD offence was after the limits were reduced to half of what England has. That could easily be morning after.

Very good point although if she is 30 now and 19 at the time, it probably wasn't.

[GreyhoundG1rl]

No, I wouldn't. On the "teenage brains are still developing" thing; why don't all teenagers amass a range of convictions before they grow up, then?

[poppycat10]

Most people get through their teens without police/court involvement

in your privileged little world perhaps, after all all MNers are perfect.

Meanwhile, in the real world...it's worth noting that about 20% of men have been convicted of something at some point. But of course we have double standards for women and they must be sooooo bad if they get convicted.

A lot of people commit crimes as teenagers, they just don't get caught.

[Lockdownbear]

Just read your posts potential Social Worker, she'll have an insight into what domestic violence is all about.

Ask her why she was drawn towards social work. You'll probably get a valuable insight into her life.

[TheHoundsofLove]

If they seemed to be an otherwise decent person, then yes I would trust them. Lots of people make very stupid decisions when young adults - I definitely don't think it makes them inherently bad people. Nor do I think that someone's life should be forever blighted by mistakes made in the past.

[Lassy1945]

If I was judged by the behaviour of my 17 year old self

I’d be utterly self obsessed
Completely prepared to cheat on boyfriends
Lazy
Chronically messy and disorganised

Now
Single parents
Unbelievably house proud
Militarily well organised
Abhor cheater
Put myself last in a long line of people

[GreyhoundG1rl]

I'm struggling to see how breach of the peace and assault charges would contribute anything that would make her a better social worker?

[Whammyyammy]

Yes I would, it was 11 years ago, so long as not continued to reoffend between then and now.
She was young and foolish, but moved on.

[toocold54]

Yes I’d trust her a lot of us were idiots when we were young. It’s probably why she wants to become a social worker and she’ll probably be really good at it. Most people start careers because they don’t want people to end up like them/people they know.

[miltonj]

Yes my old house mate and close friend has been in trouble for all these things and more. She is now a whole new person, a brilliant mother and an all round good egg! I am immensely proud of her, especially as at the time all this was happening I fully believed she'd end up dead or in jail. She was extremely mentally Ill at the time and being let down by services. When she became a mum everything fell into place and she turned it around all by self. I know outcomes are often times not as positive as this but she's my living proof that people can change.

[LexMitior]

Tbh perhaps the more significant thing about multiply convictions is that you could have gone to prison for some of these. If she did, then it looks a lot worse than someone who got a fine etc.

The other thing is that I think if you have gone to prison for a certain time the conviction is never spent. It remains on your record. Is that what happened here?

Btw at 17 you are very nearly an adult for sentencing, and at 19 I don’t think you can say “immature” but Scotland does tend to give shorter sentences than England at that age.

[Lassy1945]

@poppycat10

Most people get through their teens without police/court involvement

in your privileged little world perhaps, after all all MNers are perfect.

Meanwhile, in the real world...it's worth noting that about 20% of men have been convicted of something at some point. But of course we have double standards for women and they must be sooooo bad if they get convicted.

A lot of people commit crimes as teenagers, they just don't get caught.

But it’s fact
*most* people don’t have any involvement with the police in their teens!

[Dddccc]

Ok points here were they cautions, and reprimands, I had breach of the peace and assault caution and final waring at 17 they get wiped off your record after 10 years she would not have been accepted onto the degree if it was an issue as you have to do criminal record checks with that type of degree, and also it was 11 years ago

[fairydustandpixies]

No doubt those convictions came with some kind of justice. Assuming those are now spent, has she not served her time/punishment or does she have to carry that around with her for the rest of her life?? Wholly unfair not to trust after the sentence has been spent, what else would you want her to do, walk on burning coals, be branded? She did wrong, she was punished.

[Californiabakes]

I know a social worker who is on a life licence, so much more serious offence. The convictions will come up on every check and she will have to explain herself but its not a bar to working as a social worker per se.

[TableFlowerss]

@Californiabakes

I know a social worker who is on a life licence, so much more serious offence. The convictions will come up on every check and she will have to explain herself but its not a bar to working as a social worker per se.

What’s a life licence? What kind of crime would you commit to get one of those?