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Voluntary Sector Support Guidance

Diversify your volunteer base: Ex-offenders

Overview

Research from the charity Unlock finds that volunteering offers a powerful route to rehabilitation, employment and community connection. Yet, people with criminal records are often excluded due to stigma, misunderstanding, and unnecessary checks.  The Ministry of Justice estimates that 1 in 4 working-age adults have a criminal record – inclusion matters.

Key Challenges and Barriers

  • DBS misuse: Many organisations apply for checks unnecessarily – this is illegal and discriminatory
  • Benefit confusion: People may not know they can volunteer while claiming benefits
  • Stigma: Stereotyping and a lack of empathy

Practical Suggestions for Engagement

Recruitment

  • Focus on skills and potential rather than past convictions
  • Include inclusive statements like “we are a fair chance employer”
  • Advertise roles in diverse and accessible spaces
  • Be transparent about DBS requirements
  • Avoid asking about convictions on application forms
  • Ask empathetic questions like "what else was going on at the time of the offence?” – try to understand and empathise with the person behind the crime

Role Design

  • Allow flexibility for appointments and probation conditions
  • Adapt roles to suit individual circumstances

Volunteer Experience

  • Assign a mentor and foster a non-judgmental environment
  • Reimburse expenses where possible
  • Celebrate achievements and share success stories
  • Provide regular supervision and support
  • Limit who in the organisation knows about a volunteer’s criminal history

Additional Resources for Further Reading

  1. Gov Guidance – Volunteering and Claiming Benefits
  2. Voluntary Action Leeds – Recruiting Volunteers with Criminal Convictions Toolkit (page 13 provides helpful for information on DBS checks)
  3. West Glamorgan Volunteering Support – Diversifying your Volunteers Toolkit (page 42 has information relevant to ex-offenders)
  4. Clinks – a charity helping the voluntary sector working in criminal justice
  5. Unlock – a charity advocating for people with criminal records - they provide advice on volunteering

Resources used to create this page

  1. Unlock – Volunteering
  2. Voluntary Action Leeds – Recruiting Volunteers with Criminal Convictions Toolkit
  3. Gov Guidance – Volunteering and Claiming Benefits
  4. Ministry of Justice - Estimate of the number of individuals of working age with a nominal record on the Police National Computer