The Charter
The Charter
Learning from the best
Having been inspired by the successful employer-led U.S. Second Chance Business Coalition, the Fair Chance Business Alliance is transforming the way businesses view talent by championing Fair Chance employment. Through the UK’s first and only dedicated three-tier Employment Charter, we enable employers to address skills gaps, support career advancement, and create life-changing opportunities, ultimately strengthening businesses and communities alike.
Our model is based on the successful three-tier Disability Confident and Defence Employer Recognition Schemes, among others. It also draws on ‘Fair Chance Principles’ established by Unlock, a charity that works with people with criminal records. It delivers:
- New employment opportunities that last.
- Standards that employers can stick with.
- A permanent culture shift.
Our Pilot Charter: overview
FOR EMPLOYERS
Employers will demonstrate they have begun their journey towards Fair Chance readiness by implementing key policies and practices and planning for the reception of people with criminal records into their workforce. They will have started to align their team with this mission and publicise their Bronze membership.
Bronze employers are required to meet all the required standards below and have Board level (or similar) support for Fair Chance Employment. Bronze employers have up to 12 months to progress to Silver, with membership lapsing after 2 years pending reapplication (support will be provided).
FOR CANDIDATES
Bronze employers understand the law on hiring people with criminal records, clearly explain their approach in pre-application materials and will protect your privacy if you apply. They are working towards actively welcoming people with criminal records into their teams, but this may be a work in progress.
FOR EMPLOYERS
Employers will be able to show that they and their teams are prepared and ready to welcome candidates with criminal records and give them a Fair Chance of employment. They will be well versed and up to date on the law (including Criminal Record checks) as it applies to their own organisation, how to conduct thoughtful and balanced safeguarding and risk management, and how not to collect or record any more criminal record information than is necessary, any sooner than is necessary. They flag any exceptions to candidates before application.
Silver employers must meet all the Bronze standards and the additional Silver standards outlined below. Employers may apply for Silver membership at any time they are ready; they apply for renewal every two years.
FOR CANDIDATES
Silver employers welcome applications from appropriately skilled candidates with criminal records, and they have established this inclusive culture within their teams. They understand how the law relates to their own hiring practices, they generally ask for no more information than they need no sooner than they need it, and they understand how to balance your history against the role you’re applying for. If they have any exceptions, or need a Criminal Record check or disclosure, they will make this all clear before you apply.
FOR EMPLOYERS
Employers can show that they are not just welcoming but proactive. They seek opportunities to attract people with criminal records into their workforce through relevant partnerships, dedicated programmes and thoughtful onboarding support. They always assess a candidate’s skill-based suitability for a role before considering risk and are well trained and experienced in evaluating difficult disclosures. Gold employers set the public example to which other alliance members aspire.
Gold employers meet all the required standards at Bronze, Silver and Gold. Employers may apply for Gold membership once they have achieved Silver and met the Gold standards; renewal is required every three years.
FOR CANDIDATES
Gold employers go above and beyond to find, recruit and promote candidates with criminal records. They won’t ask about your history until you’ve demonstrated you’re a good fit for the job, they will never ask for more information than they need, and they’ll always address any disclosure sensitively and thoughtfully. Gold employers choose to invest in training other businesses, partnering with charities or prisons, or creating specific learning opportunities for people with criminal records. They are the leaders of the Fair Chance movement.
Founding principles
The charter will deliver:
New employment opportunities that last
Employers that stick with it
A permanent culture-shift.
Bronze standards
- Designate a responsible person for inclusive recruitment.
- Ensure new appointee acquires knowledge of safeguarding and Fair Chance hiring principles and practices.
- Begin to grow a Fair Chance culture.
- Develop Fair Chance policies and procedures
- Rehabilitation of Offenders legislation.
- Disclosure and Criminal Record checks.
- Data Protection legislation.
- Sign and fulfil the Fair Chance Pledge.
- Publicise your membership of the Alliance.
Silver standards: Bronze PLUS
- Rehabilitation of Offenders legislation
- Disclosure and Criminal Records checks
- Data Protection legislation
- Fair Chance Principles
- Embed a Fair Chance Culture.
- Training.
- Recruitment Preparation, Interviews & Onboarding.
- Actively promote your Charter membership.
- Engage your supply & value chain in Fair Chance Employment.
Gold standards: Silver PLUS
- Advocate for Fair Chance hiring.
- Promote Alliance membership.
- Review policies periodically
- Training around intentional inclusion.
- Alternative deployment based on disclosure.
- Ban the Box.
- Build partnerships with other members of the Fair Chance Alliance.
- Provide opportunities for mentoring and education to Fair Chance partners.
- Sponsor at least one Fair Chance event.
- Demonstrate your leadership of the Alliance.
A lasting change
We have designed our charter standards to be:
- Evidence-based: shown to improve the prospects of successfully and sustainably employing people with criminal records.
- Flexible enough to accommodate employers of different sizes and sectors.
- Robust enough to hold employers responsible for their commitments.
- User-friendly enough to implement and assess in ways that have a manageable impact on HR and other operations.
- Staged to encourage and support progression to higher tiers.
- Attractive and accessible to employers.
- Reassuring to candidates with criminal records.
How we got here
Having looked at best practice across the world, we gathered five hundred global data points and set up a working party of industry leaders, employers, and experts from the charity sector. They spent six months working with us to define:
- What our key standards should be
- How they should be tiered
- How they should be implemented and administered
- What resources should be available to support employers
- What membership benefits should be included
And after six months of piloting, we soft-launched the Alliance at Havas Village London, honouring all of the contributors for the UK’s only dedicated charter for recruiting and progressing people with criminal records.
Want to have your say?
Want to help shape the Fair Chance Employment Charter?
Join our growing family of founding signatories.
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