Fair Chance Business Alliance

A message from our chair, Keith Jones: "We welcome the Government’s 80% employment rate ambition, as announced in yesterday’s Get Britain Working white paper. Given 25% of the UK’s working age population has a criminal record, the Government’s target can only be achieved by recognising that no single characteristic exists in a vacuum; though the young and those suffering ill-health are the primary focus of the reforms, sizable percentages of both groups will have experience of the criminal justice sector. Any solution must seek to dismantle the multiple barriers to work that people face." #FairChance #WhitePaper #Inclusivity

Yesterday was one of those days when I couldn’t work out why I got invited, but I was glad it was. My good business friend Neil Wood, asked me to do a talk about the Fair Chance Business Alliance as the FCBA had been invited to the East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire) Strategic Partner and Patron Lunch held at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK site of Toyota (GB) plc site at Burnaston in the East Midlands. What a place. If you get the chance to go and see it, do. These events give the FCBA a chance to shine a light on how working with the organisation can help solve some of the productivity and skills gap issues faced by companies of all sizes in the UK. The FCBA is an employer-lead not-for-profit that enables businesses of all sizes to recruit and retain the best people, including those with a criminal record. There is a sound business case around this. Working with the FCBA can help manage the opportunities and effects on all employees and stakeholders in and around a business in order to realise the ROI of employing under-utilised and often marginalised people.   I have listened to issues arising in recruiting and retaining the right people at several events recently, including at the Make UK conference I attended on behalf of the Fair Chance Business Alliance last week. Working together to build peer-to-peer trust, reinforced with great fact-based support from the FCBA, might be part of a solution. The Toyota room was full of open-minded business people, and I thank you for leaving your conscious bias at the door. What a great event, and thanks to Carolyn Bundey for corralling the day, or in my case, herding a cat, and to you and your colleague Pete [sorry, I have already forgotten your surname] for telling us about the fantastic innovative market-leading work you do at Toyota. And I also learned some great Japanese terms that encapsulate how to build a business culture; oh and some new corporate acronyms. Thanks also to Harry Brown of ReGenerate and David Pearson of the Chamber for your valuable input, and it was great to meet Scott Knowles DL as well.   Kate Carr Keith Jones Sally Hopper mark whelan Rachel Evans FCIPD Dawn Moore Anne Fox

Tomorrow sees publication of the Government White Paper, titled "Get Britain Working". It will cite statistics showing that less than a third of prison leavers find employment within six months of release, and will include measures to encourage and offer incentives for more employers to employ more people with criminal records. However, the Government’s target of 80% employment requires innovative, new and joined up solutions.   Recent media coverage* and the White Paper both shed light on the critical link between employment and reducing reoffending. FCBA wholeheartedly supports all initiatives to help prison leavers into work, as they represent an important step towards both addressing workforce needs as well as improving social mobility, family and community outcomes. However, it’s vital to widen the lens on this issue. The rate of employment for people with criminal records serving non-custodial sentences in the community is still less than half. But, while fewer than 10% of people with a criminal record have served time in prison, the stigma associated with a criminal record affects 9.4m of working age across the UK - a population equivalent to Greater London. Which is why these conversations must always go beyond prison leavers to include everyone with a criminal conviction. FCBA is the 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 employer-led organisation dedicated to connecting businesses to this largely untapped talent pool. As misconceptions fade, and organisations recognise the proven value of fair chance hiring, forward-thinking employers can bridge workforce gaps whilst also making a real difference to their communities. With 60% of businesses reporting skills shortages, recruiting from the widest possible talent pool makes commercial sense. Business and government must work together so that everyone - regardless of their past - has a fair chance at securing meaningful work. Equipped with the right tools, advice, and organisational culture, employers can lead the charge in unlocking potential and driving sustainable impact. #FairChance #InclusiveHiring #Employment

Last night, I had the privilege of attending an incredibly impactful event hosted by the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice at the House of Lords. It was a powerful evening of conversations centred on criminal justice reform and the transformative role that fair employment practices can play in breaking down barriers for people with criminal records The highlight of the evening for me (and probably everyone there) was hearing Ken O. share his story - a story which I absolutely could not do justice to in a few lines so I won't even try, but I do encourage you to Google it. His message was clear, inspiring, and thought-provoking: we should encourage employers to “keep the bar but remove the barrier.” That simple statement captures what the Fair Chance Business Alliance is advocating for—a recruitment process that is rigorous and fair, but not exclusionary. The speeches from Ken, as well as Jo Easton from Unlock - for people with criminal records and Penelope Gibbs from the FairChecks campaign, reminded us all of the untapped potential in so many people who are excluded from employment due to outdated and disproportionate practices. It reinforced why fairer criminal records reform is not just a matter of justice but also one of equity and opportunity. The House of Lords was a fitting venue for such an important conversation. It was a night of hope and progress, surrounded by changemakers determined to create a society where everyone has a fair chance to rebuild their lives. Thank you to RBIJ, the Fair Checks campaign, and everyone who made last night’s event possible. Let’s keep this momentum going—together, we can ensure that more employers embrace fair chance hiring. Fair Chance Business Alliance

The latest Labour Market Outlook from the Institute for Employment Studies presents a mixed picture: economic inactivity rates have improved among 35-64 year olds, but the situation for young people has worsened (ONS, November 2024).*   There are undoubtedly many causes of high levels of worklessness among young people. But we know that a criminal record makes it harder to find work, and that most people with criminal convictions receive them before the age of 30 (Unlock)** - meaning younger people are more likely to have an unspent conviction which will impact their access to good jobs.   We talk about intersectionality a lot, but that’s only because it’s so important! If employers are working hard to bring more young people into their organisations, but they are excluding people with criminal records, they will inevitably by leaving significant parts of their target group behind. #FairChance #Intersectionality #YoungPeople #Employment

It's true! Statistics from the Home Office indicate there's a very high probability of the number of working age adults in the UK with a criminal record, reaching 10 million by 2027. MoJ data from 28th October states 9.4 million people of working age currently have a nominal record on the Police National Computer*. Over the last 5 years, 200,000 people on average are added to the PNC annually**. Together these statistics show that by 2027 we are very likely to reach 10 million working age people in the UK with a criminal record. These figures highlight a huge, often untapped pool of talent. Many people with a criminal record have the skills and motivation to make a real difference in the workplace. At Fair Chance Business Alliance, we're here to help businesses see that potential. It’s time to rethink hiring practices, tap into this talent, and build a workforce that’s truly inclusive.

Good to see Retail Week highlighting the importance of fair employment for people with convictions. Based on current projections the number of people of working age in the UK with a criminal record will hit 10m by 2027, an average rise of 200,000 p/a from 9.4m currently. This talent pool, the size of Greater London, is too often overlooked and can be a competitive and strategic advantage for all employers. The Fair Chance Business Alliance (FCBA) is providing employers the resources to recruit and progress people with criminal records through the UK's only dedicated Charter for this purpose. Take a look at https://lnkd.in/eAQ2_5Jt Fair Chance Business Alliance is also championing the benefits of leveraging this talent pool, which are good for communities and great for business If 80% of offending is reoffending then providing employment opportunities across sectors isn’t just commercial sense, it’s also common sense.  

Great to see Retail Week spotlighting the importance of fair employment for people with convictions, and some great statistics from Iceland Foods demonstrating the benefit. One key aspect that often goes unmentioned however, is intersectionality. Many businesses tend to see 'people with criminal records' as a single group, but in reality everyone is so much more than their offending history. The same businesses (55%* in total) who say they wouldn't hire someone with a criminal record are likely have diversity strategies in place - yet ethnically diverse individuals, care leavers, veterans, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, neurodiverse people are all over-represented in the criminal justice system. For businesses committed to diversity, excluding candidates with convictions is not only a missed opportunity but also leaves behind a significant portion of the very communities they aim to support.

I am really excited about our new partnership for Empower Me business. Supporting offenders through prisons and probation with their education and skills and workplace readiness. 🌟 It’s #LifelongLearningWeek, a time to champion the transformative power of continuous growth and opportunity. I created Empower Me, as I believe everyone deserves a fair chance—to secure a job and build a meaningful career. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Fair Chance Business Alliance to break down barriers and create real, sustainable change. Our goal in partnership is to unlock inclusive, impactful, and scalable pathways, ensuring no talent is overlooked. Lifelong learning is key to this vision—it’s about equipping people with the skills, support, and confidence to thrive, regardless of their background or previous opportunities. But we can’t do this alone. To truly make a difference, we need all employers—family-run businesses or corporate leaders—to join us in recognising and developing talent that might otherwise go unseen. The Fair Chance Alliance is helping provide the structure, guidance, and expertise to ensure potential is identified and nurtured. Let’s commit to making lifelong learning and meaningful career opportunities accessible to all. Here’s to a future where everyone has the tools to obtain and maintain meaningful employment. 💼✨ #EmpowerMe #FairChanceAlliance #LifelongLearning #CareerDevelopment #SocialImpact #Inclusion #OpportunityForAll #PathwaysToSuccess

Dr. Tej Samani is the founder of Empower Me (My Performance Learning), a platform that accelerates rehabilitation by integrating online learning, well-being, and skills coaching. He says: “At Empower Me, we’ve seen many people face barriers to employment and building sustainable careers. That’s why we’ve partnered with Fair Chance Alliance to unlock opportunities in industries that truly matter. Our mission is to create inclusive, impactful, and scalable pathways, ensuring no talent is overlooked. However, this isn’t something we can achieve alone. We need the commitment of all employers — whether family-run businesses or large corporations — to step up and join us. Fair Chance Alliance provides the structure, support, and expertise to ensure the right people are recognised and given the opportunities they deserve.  Together, we can break cycles of disadvantage and create lasting change.”