Fair Chance Business Alliance

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campaign, reminded us all of the untapped potential in so many people who are excluded from employment due to outdated and disproportionate practices.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.”

As founding signatory for the new Charter, the Chamber is proud to support the work of the Fair Chance Business Alliance Fair Chance Business Alliance is reshaping employment and progression opportunities for the UK’s 8 million working-age people with criminal records. By uniting employers in a powerful collaboration for change, they’re actively tackling two of society’s most pressing challenges: persistent talent challenges and widening economic inequalities. To discover how they’re supporting employers, whatever size, sector, or location to become organisations’ where everyone thrives, regardless of their background contact ?? [email protected] #FairChance #InclusiveWorkplace Scott Knowles DL Diane Beresford Lucy Robinson David Pearson Alison Griffiths (Barker) CMgr MCMI Richard Blackmore

It certainly wasn’t the most publicised Government announcement this week, but the Ministry of Justice’s ad hoc statistical release on Monday should be of interest to everyone who wants to see a drop in unemployment and an increase in tax revenue. According to the MoJ’s latest figures*, 9.4m people of working age in the UK have a criminal record –that’s equivalent to the entire population of Greater London, and a whopping 1 in 4 of all people aged 16-64 in the UK. ? The Government has an ambition to raise the employment rate to 80%** - a difficult task made even harder when 55% of employers wouldn’t consider recruiting someone with a conviction. With cuts of up to 30% of DPS funding being acutely felt by fantastic voluntary sector organisations working across the criminal justice sector, it’s more important than ever that employers come together to form powerful collaborations for change, and make Fair Chance hiring safe, sustainable and normal.

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