As part of the ‘Scotland Works for You’* programme, the Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services (VSDS) team have recently launched online ‘Helping the Voluntary Sector Recruit Fairly’ training sessions to help third sector organisations with in this process.
*‘Scotland Works for You’ is the name of the collaborative group initiated in early 2017 with the aim of securing opportunities for people with convictions to lead positive, healthy lives that contribute to society.
Upcoming training dates include: 2pm – 4pm on Monday 25th March or Monday 24th June and/or 10am – 12pm on Monday 22nd April or Friday 31st May. Please keep reading for sign-up information.
Training overview:
There is often a stigma attached to having a criminal record. This means those who are punished formally by the courts and justice system can also be informally punished, because it reduces their future opportunities in life.
People with convictions can be excluded from society as a result. This exclusion, and subsequent reoffending, can be reduced through employment, volunteering, and education opportunities. These can help promote a sense that you are part of society and have an investment in it.
People who consider themselves innocent, law-abiding citizens commit crimes which don’t lead to police involvement – driving over the speed limit, texting while driving. Most offences will not affect a person’s suitability for a particular job, educational course or volunteering opportunity.
If a person’s disclosure record includes a conviction, it can be helpful to talk to them about this and for you to understand what information will be released to you as an employer and how you can assess this information to make an appropriate recruitment decision.
This session allows you to ask questions to address any concerns you may have and investigate how you as a group can offer opportunities to those with conviction information.
The session aims to support groups to:
- Challenge their values and beliefs about people who have an offending background
- Reassess their views on recruiting individuals who have an offending background
- Raise awareness of perceptions that exist about people with an offending background
- Understand the how Disclosure Information can be used when assessing risk in recruitment
By the end of the session, groups will be able to:
- Understand how stereotyping can impact behaviours
- Create procedures for considering people with conviction information
- Demonstrate an understanding of risk assessing conviction information
- Give people with convictions, opportunities
For further information about how to book a place on this training, please visit the Eventbrite website (linked for your convenience).
