To think I've got any chance of getting this job with a criminal record?

[Ravenalasia]

Hi, I applied for a Teaching Assistant job recently and the school phoned today to offer me an interview on Wednesday.

They then emailed me the self disclosure form which I've returned with the convictions on that the accompanying flow chart said I had to disclose... am I going to be laughed out of the interview?

Convictions: harassment charge which resulted in me getting a restraining order and having to pay costs to the victim (my ex) plus a caution (basically phoned him too much, was cautioned then kept ringing out of desperation and he went to the court to do an ex parte affidavit thing and I ended up with the harassment charge. Pleaded guilty obviously. This was 9 years ago. Also a caution for battery as we got into a fight the previous day (it was an abusive relationship)

I also had another incident of criminal damage with another abusive ex; he locked me out of his house at 3am whilst pregnant and I basically kicked at the cat flap to get his attention as he still had my purse in the house, damaging the door in the process.

So. I deeply regret all incidents obviously and have since been diagnosed and medicated for generalised anxiety disorder but are these incidents 'too' bad for me to be able to explain away?

How do I even explain them, as I'm worried if I say it the way I have done above, it sounds like I'm victim blaming?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

You don’t know what you’re talking about.

Wow I had no idea they did that in nov 2020. That's not very good though is it as now people with various offences can work in schools with noone knowing. Ok not assault or safeguarding offences but still.

Op that flowchart is useful, check it out.

Go for it OP. You deserve a chance - and you've been honest about past mistakes. Let the school decide, but I personally think because they know you already you might just be a great fit. Good luck if you try Xxx

More bullshit on this thread than any I’ve seen before.

It doesn’t matter whether it is filtered or not. It is up to the employer to carry out a risk assessment and determine whether what is revealed on the DBS check is compatible.

You don’t pass or fail a DBS, it is part of an employment risk assessment.

OP, please don’t listen to the uninformed bollocks spouted by the pearl clutchers on here. Apply for the job. Be honest. Own your past. Explain how you’ve changed and what you’ve done to put your mistakes behind you. If nothing else, it will make you better prepared for next time.

And for the idiots harping about “indie” schools. You don’t even need a fucking qualification to teach in them so wind it about your made up rules.

You don’t pass or fail a DBS, it is part of an employment risk assessment

Obviously, yes - though I'm not sure what the need was to be so rude with the rest of it
However I was replying to a PP who mentioned that the convictions would disappear from a DBS after 11 years, pointing out that this isn't necessarily so

Because you’re all acting like you know chapter and verse, sitting on your high horses to punch down at someone trying to turn their life around. Hyenas. It’s disgusting.

Neither harassment nor criminal damage appear on the list of offences that will never be filtered so unless it was more serious crimes they should be eligible to be filtered

Battery and criminal damage are on the list of filterable offences, the battery was a caution so I think that should be gone by now, the criminal damage should be filtered in 2025.

Not sure about the harassment.

But yes, I have been on the unlock website and scrutinised it for info.

I have been on the unlock website and scrutinised it for info

A sensible move, OP, though it still leaves the issue of someone knowing about this and trying to make trouble for you
Given what the school gate mentality can be like, I just wondered if that's a position you'd want to put yourself in?

@Hadebough

Because you’re all acting like you know chapter and verse, sitting on your high horses to punch down at someone trying to turn their life around. Hyenas. It’s disgusting.

You are also coming across like a know it all. And not a pleasant one at that with the very aggressive tone. The most unpleasant posts have come from you. You're also punching down people you are trying to just give their opinion- they have as much right to do so as you. And your statements aren't wholly true either.

At the end of the day, this is an opinion site. I'm sure OP can access the relevant websites to find out facts for herself.

I do hope you find a career OP- one that will overlook convictions from a lifetime ago. Unfortunately I don't think one in education is likely.

I would just be honest. Don't withdraw your application. Context is hugely important and if you have a sustained improvement in your circumstances, that goes in your favour. I think it's far more likely that a man would continue an application in such circumstances.

Not sure about the harassment

According to the list, the Protection from Harrassment Act 2000, s4 covers "Putting people in fear of violence" as one of the offences which can't be filtered, though obviously I don't know if this would fit your circumstances?

I work for a regulatory body for teachers not in E&W. Disclosure of such convictions would result in us wanting to ask some questions about the circumstances but would in no way automatically rule you out. Insight, remorse and remediation are all important. Go to the interview.

Yes, and people can put on a convincing 'act' at an interview and pretend all sorts of things. But some facts speak for themselves. And how can you know from an interview whether someone is truly remorseful? This is very naïve.

Let's be realistic and look at things from the point of view of any school concerned for its reputation.* * You'll never be able to legislate for every eventuality when interviewing a prospective member of staff, but as I said before, some facts speak for themselves - and one fact here that is disturbing is OP seems to be largely blaming others/events in her past for what happened - and what happened includes violence, remember?

Please don't withdraw before the interview just because of what some people have said on here!

Having criminal convictions does not automatically bar you from working in a school (not even a SEN one)! I know this because I've worked in dozens of schools, and not been considered a risk at all.

There are certain offences which would never be filtered, and which should arguably prevent someone from ever working with children (for example, things like child kidnapping and sexual offences) but you haven't committed any of these.

I'm actually pretty disgusted by all the "i work in a school and we'd never employ you" responses - it's like all these people haven't heard of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and think it's acceptable to discriminate in this way, even decades after the offence took place.

Don’t withdraw the application. See what happens.

I don't understand why so many people think that having a criminal record from years and years ago instantly makes someone a risk to children? It's not a very good indicator, realistically all having a clean criminal record proves is that someone's never been caught commuting a crime.

Because it’s a lazy way to judge people. You don’t have to know whether they are povs or feed their kids chicken nuggets for breakfast. You can judge them and consign them to the “not worthy of respect” pile without having to do any further analysis.

Its a disgusting attitude and one which smacks of some sort of misplaced middle class snobbery.

A dbs check certainly isn't a perfect system...I mean let's face it, Jimmy Saville was never convicted so would have got through a dbs check no problem! However, it is better than nothing. Lots of people have convictions for incredibly minor things .. motoring offences, non payment of a rail fare etc which probably wouldn't exclude them from working with children. I think the problem the op will have is the fact that it involves violence and there are multiple ones. My concern if I was a potential employer is that if the op has been in several abusive relationships, what if she enters another one and an abusive partner comes to her workplace and it kicks off? On the plus side, she's been volunteering and it hasn't proved a problem. That might strengthen her case. Who knows?! I think she should definitely still go to the interview. There is nothing to lose.

Imagine if this was a man applying to work in school.

As the context to the OP's question is about a school TA job for which there are expected to be a large number of applicants, the question is why a selection panel would fall over themselves to make allowances for someone with a criminal record when there are presumably large numbers of applicants who did an excellent interview and are suitable without a criminal record?

As someone just reading this thread, while I am sympathetic to the OP, whose past is constricting her job opportunities (though that is, obviously part of the point of a criminal record, that someone is aware that if they are charged or cautioned, this is going to follow them around longterm, even if they avoid a fine or imprisonment), I do find myself wondering whether, given that two of the offences involved two different abusive exes, this person had an established pattern of poor relationship choices that was still ongoing, and liable to interfere with her working life.

I fully believe that most people with criminal and violent pasts can be rehabilitated and go on to be safe people. But multiple records of violence and unhinged/dangerous behaviour will not go down well in a special school. Staff in most schools, but particularly in special education settings need to be calm and collected, not likely to become enraged or violent

Yeah that's illegal

She hasnt done that at all. You say shes the one with he criminal conviction, how do you know the other person didnt receive one aswel?