:sad: just read this on the FSB website so looks like it's going to become even easier for crimainals to get into our trade

Government unveils reforms to support the rehabilitation of offenders into employment
The Government has announced that it intends to reduce rehabilitation periods for ex-offenders. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, criminal convictions become spent after a defined period of time. The length of the rehabilitation period depends on the type and length of sentence. Subject to certain exclusions, job applicants can conceal spent convictions from prospective employers and an employer cannot refuse to employ a job applicant because he or she has a spent conviction or has concealed a spent conviction.

The Government intends to reduce the rehabilitation periods in the Act and has tabled an amendment to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament. Rehabilitation periods will in future run from when the individual completes their sentence, rather than from the date of conviction as at present. For example, a sentence of between six and 30 months imprisonment, which for an adult currently has a rehabilitation period of 10 years from the date of conviction, will have a rehabilitation period of four years from the end of the sentence under the new provisions (subject to a maximum total period of sentence and rehabilitation of 6.5 years). A community order, which for an adult has a current rehabilitation period of five years from the date of conviction, will have a rehabilitation period of one year from the end of sentence under the new provisions (subject to a maximum total period of sentence and rehabilitation of four years). An absolute discharge, which has a rehabilitation period of six months under the current provisions, will, in future, have no rehabilitation period. However, convictions resulting in a custodial sentence of more than four years will remain unspent under the amendment.

Job applicants will also continue to have to declare their previous convictions for certain roles, for example those involving work with vulnerable adults and children.

they are by our council !