Fair Chance Business Alliance

Delighted to be working with the Fair Chance Business Alliance and this post is a brilliant testimony to the power it has Holly Branson ,and also an illustration as to why Employers should engage . I am delighted to say I will be speaking at their event on the 27th November-hope to see as many Employers there as possible!!!❤️🙏 https://lnkd.in/eb6mCEnv Neil Wood Kate Carr Keith Jones Rachel Evans FCIPD Stephen Cole Helga Swidenbank Matthias Stausberg Richard Branson Brett Saunders Sareena Bains Elizabeth Taylor Laura-Jane Rawlings MBE DL George Greaves Hayley Downing-Gale Renata Graver Alex Perkins David Steeds Kam Patel Brian Mc Keown Donna Duce Duro Oye Cecil Adjalo Joseph Lyons John Lyons Nanna S Soenya Rakesh (Rax) Kalia Sadie Samuels ICA Dip (FCP) Jayde Edwards Jess Beider Allison Francis Tom Storey Naffie D. Vanessa Drury Deborah Omope Olenka Hodge Polly Harrar Jessica White Charles Eales

This week saw the Ministry of Justice announce a new Sentencing Review and follows the second wave of early releases for prisoners due to overcrowding.   The independent review, chaired by former Lord Chancellor David Gauke, has several aims, including the exploration of community-based alternatives to prison time, and understanding the impact of short custodial sentences.   At the Fair Chance Business Alliance, we see this Review and the Times Crime and Justice Commission’s* year-long review as a crucial steps towards a more balanced approach to justice and rehabilitation. The UK has the highest per capita incarceration rate in Western Europe**, yet we also have a higher crime rate than 31 of our 39 European counterparts.*** With 550 new criminal records being instigated every day, and our prisons rapidly running out of space, we have to find more effective ways of prevention, punishment and rehabilitation.   It's widely accepted that employment is one of the three pillars of reducing reoffending (along with education and housing). In a world where remote working has become normalised, home detention could enable more people with criminal records to access paid work from home. By removing physical barriers to employment and addressing the stigma of a criminal record, we can help create pathways for individuals to contribute to their communities and rebuild their lives, whilst also reducing recidivism.   This is an important moment for businesses to step up and consider how fair chance hiring can be a part of the solution.   * https://lnkd.in/eM5ubWsr ** https://lnkd.in/eg2mFfsP *** https://lnkd.in/e6rSgzQ4

Thank you Holly Branson for your support! 💙 We're excited to partner with Virgin to help break down barriers for people with criminal records, creating a win-win for businesses and society. #FairChance

With today’s reports of a second tranche of prisoners being released early to ease overcrowding, it’s more critical than ever to address the factors that reduce the risk of reoffending. One of the most effective ways to support reintegration is through employment. According to the Ministry of Justice, prison leavers who secure employment are up to 9% less likely to reoffend. Stable jobs provide not only financial stability but also a sense of purpose and community - key elements in breaking the cycle of crime. At the Fair Chance Business Alliance, we support businesses to implement inclusive hiring practices that offer individuals with criminal records the opportunity to rebuild their lives through meaningful work.

It was great to read today’s Times article by Fair Chance Business Alliance advocate, Richard Branson, calling for employers to do more to support the 8 million-strong waiting workforce with a criminal record. He draws the link between criminal records and other groups who face barriers to work – making specific reference to neurodiversity - something that many businesses overlook when developing their own EDI strategies. People with neurodiversity are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, so if you have ambitions to welcome more neurodiverse candidates into your organisation, but you exclude people with criminal records, you are leaving a significant proportion of your target audience behind: 1. Individuals with neurodiverse conditions are three times more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system (The Brain Charity, 2022)* 2. 60% of young people in custody reportedly experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury before becoming engaged in the criminal justice system (Arnold-Richardson, 2021)** 3. Half of people entering prison have a form of neurodivergent condition which impacts their ability to engage (Criminal Justice Joint Inspection, 2022).*** Our employer-led Alliance is pioneering intentional inclusion with a focus on the 8 million working-age people in the UK with criminal records, many of whom face multiple barriers to work. Our goal is to ensure that all employers of every size and sector have the recruitment tools to roll out intentional inclusion at an unprecedented pace and scale, giving every individual (no matter their history) a fair chance to thrive.

It was great to read today’s Times article by Fair Chance Business Alliance advocate, Richard Branson, calling for employers to do more to support the 8 million-strong waiting workforce with a criminal record. He draws the link between criminal records and other groups who face barriers to work – making specific reference to neurodiversity - something that many businesses overlook when developing their own EDI strategies. People with neurodiversity are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, so if you have ambitions to welcome more neurodiverse candidates into your organisation, but you exclude people with criminal records, you are leaving a significant proportion of your target audience behind: 1. Individuals with neurodiverse conditions are three times more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system (The Brain Charity, 2022)* 2. 60% of young people in custody reportedly experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury before becoming engaged in the criminal justice system (Arnold-Richardson, 2021)** 3. Half of people entering prison have a form of neurodivergent condition which impacts their ability to engage (Criminal Justice Joint Inspection, 2022).*** Our employer-led Alliance is pioneering intentional inclusion with a focus on the 8 million working-age people in the UK with criminal records, many of whom face multiple barriers to work. Our goal is to ensure that all employers of every size and sector have the recruitment tools to roll out intentional inclusion at an unprecedented pace and scale, giving every individual (no matter their history) a fair chance to thrive.

Thank you Richard! We are honoured to have Virgin join the Fair Chance Business Alliance. 💙 Your leadership at Virgin is a powerful example of how businesses can drive meaningful change while tapping into an incredible pool of talent. Looking forward to making an even bigger impact together! 💪

𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 ✅   When we talk about Fair Chance hiring, we're talking about tapping into a vast, overlooked pool of talent - people with criminal records. However, stigma persists – “Is it dangerous?”, “I don’t want to put my staff’s safety at risk” etc. Did you know that in 2022 there were 40,654 convictions for TV Licence evasion, 30,193 of which were women (74%).* In 2019, TV license evasion accounted for a staggering 30% of all female convictions.** Most Fair Chance candidates with criminal records, have 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 committed violent crimes, nor been to prison. By adopting a risk-based approach, employers are making more informed recruitment and progression decisions, and not compromising workplace safety; you're also demonstrating that everyone deserves a fair chance. There’s incredible potential in this untapped talent pool. Is your business ready to give someone a Fair Chance? #FairChance #SecondChance #InclusiveWorkplace #DiverseTalent

Richard Branson continues to be a great global leader on both second chance hiring and justice reform. A few years back, I had 5 minutes with him in the green room of the ACG-LA conference to discuss our shared passion; he's the real deal -- nothing performative about his commitment. Yesterday he announced that Virgin is joining the work done by my friends in the U.K. at the Fair Chance Business Alliance. Posting my appreciation on X, I was delighted to see that the Virgin team remembered my work, and considers my book "Untapped Talent" to be the instruction manual for fair chance hiring. We have so much in common with the U.K. on this issue, something I wrote about here: https://lnkd.in/eirESpNQ

Thank you for your support Jeffrey Korzenik and Richard Branson! 💙 We're fully committed to bringing Fair Chance hiring to the UK and we are thrilled to have your support and the support of Virgin