- Conference
- Police Service Group Conference 2003
- Date
- 14 February 2003
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes:
1)The importance of ensuring that young people and vulnerable adults are protected from members of society who may wish to cause them physical, mental or sexual harm;
2)That the Government has introduced the “Disclosure” process in order to achieve these aims;
3)We continue to support the Government in achieving these goals.
Conference believes that despite such practices clearly being in breach of the Criminal Records Bureau’s Code of Practice for employers, there is a danger of the following abuses to the system:
a)whilst the importance of protecting young people and vulnerable adults is of paramount importance, the information garnered from the “Enhanced Disclosure” process may lead to discrimination in the workplace;
b)employers may use irrelevant convictions, cautions or unsubstantiated reports to prevent lesbian and gay applicants from successfully obtaining employment with them;
c)employers may force lesbians and gay men to come out at work, infringing their right to privacy.
Conference instructs the Police Staff Service Group Executive to:
i)work to promote UNISON’s position on good practice and ensure that the CRB Code of Practice and equivalent in Scotland (Scottish Criminal Records Office – SCRO) is observed in all police services;
ii)bring this matter to the attention of police branches;
iii)promote awareness of the UNISON Factsheet on the Criminal Records Bureau – Guide to Procedures and Impact on UNISON members, available on the UNISON website and from the Bargaining Support Group;
iv)support a campaign for an amendment to rehabilitation of offenders’ legislation which would remove from a person’s police record any past ‘offences’ in relation to acts that are no longer against the law.