To think I can't be a social worker with these convictions?

[gymbopo]

2 convictions on my record - drink driving and communication act (domestic). Was charged 11 years ago about 4 months apart for each. Was 19 at the time.

Had a terrible year mental health wise, going through a horrific break up although this is not an excuse but the truth. I have changed my life and really want to become a social worker however, I'm not sure I can be with these convictions.

Anyone any idea?

[Strangeways19]

I think if you're applying for social work at least when I was doing the qualification all offences had to be disclosed.
But honestly I'd go into another career, it's not that great!
You might make a good youth worker you can get a degree in that- or counselling.

[RJnomore1]

This is very odd because here’s what should be on the record unless you r applied to a sherrif to hsve it removed which you can do after 7.5: or 15 years. But it doesn’t come off automacally as a sherrif must agree it’s not relevant; you can’t just have several violent offences for example disappear without consideration.

The biggest issue is if you don’t declare a conviction and it comes back on your pvg. Declare at application and there will be a risk matrix used.

[ProbAmU]

I applied for social work as a postgrad and despite having no convictions, they didn't like some of the things that came up at my Warner interview and turned me down. This was child protection though. This was years ago and I'm still pissed off about it

My DP has a couple of convictions from when he was under 18, drunk and disorderly and theft, and they still show up on his DBS

Personally I don't think it should stop you, but it seems random sometimes

[Thefanisblowinghotair]

I’m about to qualify in Scotland. You should contact the SSSC in the first instance and then I think it’s up to the individual university as well. At the start of my course we had a law module and people asked questions like this. Our lecturer said that as long as convictions are declared and they don’t find out some other way and you can explain how you’ve changed/grown, your values now align, being able to reflect and show that you’ve learned from your mistakes is what being a social worker is all about. We wouldn’t do the job if we thought one mistake wrote you off.

[Ginger1982]

@RJnomore1

This is very odd because here’s what should be on the record unless you r applied to a sherrif to hsve it removed which you can do after 7.5: or 15 years. But it doesn’t come off automacally as a sherrif must agree it’s not relevant; you can’t just have several violent offences for example disappear without consideration.

The biggest issue is if you don’t declare a conviction and it comes back on your pvg. Declare at application and there will be a risk matrix used.

Only offences that appear on Disclosure Scotland A1 list must be disclosed unless approved for removal by a sheriff. Assault to injury and drink driving are on Disclosure Scotland B1 list which means they do not have to be disclosed if they took place more than 15 years ago or more than 7.5 years ago if over/under 18. They may or may not still show up on a PVG though, I've seen it happen both ways where they're still there and the applicant has disclosed and where they're not there but the applicant has still disclosed.

[ZealAndArdour]

@gymbopo

They will be completely off my record in 4 years time. Would I still not be able to work in criminal justice? This is what I'm really interested in.

They may be “off your record” in terms of a job in Tesco or Bricklaying, but posts working with vulnerable people are exempt from the rehabilitation of offenders act, and these convictions will show on an enhanced DBS check for the rest of your life.

You maybe be able to do it, but you are going to need to explain the incidents, discuss the circumstances at the time and demonstrate reflection, regret and changed behaviour every single time you apply for a university course or a job - this can mean writing a statement to be considered by a panel or even having to stand in front of a panel to discuss the events. You will also need to have a new DBS done at intervals throughout your time with one employer so it may also be brought up again then.

It isn’t going to go away or disappear, you are always going to have to explain yourself and those convictions, but if you really, really want to do it, it may not be insurmountable.

[gymbopo]

@ZealAndArdour so untrue and incorrect. I hate to come across as argumentative but what you are claiming is completely false.

[RJnomore1]

In theory they should still show on a PVG unless removed and I wouldn’t want to take the gamble based on them not sometimes. I manage some services where PVG is needed and that would be a huge red flag for us. And it does say quite clearly they should be on higher disclosures. (B1 is disclosed according to rules isn’t it)

But you wouldn’t need to disclose for anything that’s not regulated work at all, ever, after the time period.

[RJnomore1]

I think @ZealAndArdour is talking about the English system which I don’t know but does differ.

[DaphneSprucesPippasClack]

Speak to the place you would study social work. I've known social workers wirh records. You could also speak to social work England for advice

[Dave20]

@gymbopo

They will be completely off my record in 4 years time. Would I still not be able to work in criminal justice? This is what I'm really interested in.

I’m sorry but recorded offences don’t leave your record. The PNC ( Police national computer) holds records of any time someone is arrested and stays on there for life.
An enhanced DBS check , formerly a CRB check , check against the PNC for convictions or cautions, amongst other things.
As a social worker, I’d imagine you’d have an enhanced check. Also , there’s the Rehabilitation of offenders act 1974. I think social workers are exempt from this meaning you HAVE TO DECLARE any previous offences, regardless of time.
Offences are spent after a certain amount of time but they still stay on the system.
I applied to work in a prison some years ago and declared a historic caution. It wasn’t a problem and I passed vetting.

Apply and answer the questions truthfully and you’ll probably be fine. You can also appeal against failing vetting too.

[The3Ls]

An enhanced DBS shows spent convictions so they are never off your file. I'm a health care professional we ve employed people with similar histories. They ve just provided a cover letter with the do you have any convictions ti declare bit. However I'll be honest you have to be @exceptional. If face with two candidates and one has clear record it's definitely a tipper. Get extra experience work extra hard and you can do it. I'd hate to think we punish someone forever for stupid young mistakes by a vulnerable teens

[Dave20]

@gymbopo

@ZealAndArdour so untrue and incorrect. I hate to come across as argumentative but what you are claiming is completely false.

It’s not false. If you work in a position of trust, an enhanced disclosure will show up any previous offences.
Ive gone through vetting twice in 10 years and declared a historic caution.
Having previous offences isn’t necessarily a bar to employment but they must be declared.

Many factors are taken into consideration when someone applies with a conviction, such as nature of offences, how long ago it was and the risk.There are trained people that do the vetting. It’s all confidential with guidelines.

[Boujisboo]

If you pass an enhanced dbs you can be a social worker

be upfront about anything that might show. Lots and lots of people who had a shit young adulthood make amazing social workers. Uni’s might accept you but you need to pass an enhanced dbs to work in a local authority.

[gymbopo]

So is this incorrect info from disclosure Scotland?

[Boujisboo]

I’m not sure it always does. The difficulty is a uni May and accept you but a placement who requires an enhanced dbs will not.

[Boujisboo]

what Was communications act?
i do t think the drink driving will but the other might

[Boujisboo]

@gymbopo

Must add I am a member of the PVG scheme and have always been allowed to work with vulnerable adults and children and young people. I am a youth worker at the moment. I've always been honest and the most that's happened is I've had to explain the circumstances

Based on this you must have passed an enhanced dbs ? If you have you are good to go

[gymbopo]

@Boujisboo yes have passed many enhanced DBS IE PVG

[ZealAndArdour]

OP, it seems like you want to argue with everyone and that you already have all the answers, so I’m not sure why you posted. Just consider that some of the people responding to you may be social workers, sit on university admissions or vetting panels, be regularly recruiting in the health and social care sector or have personal experiences of similar circumstances to yourself.

You asked for opinions and advice, people are offering the best they can from their own personal or professional perspectives and you aren’t responding very well to that. Your resilience and temperament will be more rigorously challenged by social work than you have ever thought possible, and you will be expected over and over again to build positive relationships with people who have been subject to or perpetrated acts at the absolute extremes of human behaviour. If you’re struggling to do that with the average person on an Internet forum without biting back then that’s worrying.

Try and chill a bit.

[RJnomore1]

That email contradicts anything we have been told or that is available online, I’ve shown you what the websites say. Ill ask legal tomorrow or more likely Thursday as I’m out most of tomorrow.

DBS is different.

Its a shame I can’t find that other poster for you. She had very, very similar offences and ages from what I remember and graduated I think from UWS this summer. Im
sure she would have had useful advice.It doesn’t mean you are automatically out but if you don’t tell them and it comes up it’s pretty much game over. I’m not just debating with you about what does or doesn’t show up for the sake of it.

[gymbopo]

@RJnomore1

That email contradicts anything we have been told or that is available online, I’ve shown you what the websites say. Ill ask legal tomorrow or more likely Thursday as I’m out most of tomorrow.

DBS is different.

Its a shame I can’t find that other poster for you. She had very, very similar offences and ages from what I remember and graduated I think from UWS this summer. Im
sure she would have had useful advice.It doesn’t mean you are automatically out but if you don’t tell them and it comes up it’s pretty much game over. I’m not just debating with you about what does or doesn’t show up for the sake of it.

DBS has nothing to do with it. I'm in Scotland so it's PVG which is basically just the same as DBS in England.

[RJnomore1]

Bloody hell it actually says quite clearly on your screenshots that the requirements for the two are different 🙈 which they are. They are equivalent schemes but they are quite different.

[gymbopo]

@RJnomore1

Bloody hell it actually says quite clearly on your screenshots that the requirements for the two are different 🙈 which they are. They are equivalent schemes but they are quite different.

I'm not going to respond any further as you are becoming quite rude. I'm going to go with what disclosure Scotland themselves have told me in regard to how long they stay on my record. As I said, I had two previous convictions under the age of 18 which were automatically removed after 7.5 years. Of course these won't be removed from my police file and never will be they do not show up on my PVG anymore.

You seem adamant that you're right and I'm wrong so that's fine, you can be right. Have a nice day.

[Teder]

The most important thing is to be totally honest and transparent. If you can show you’ve learned and changed, then you can use this to your advantage.