Issue - meetings

The report briefs the Committee on the Ban the Box initiative and asks the Committee to consider if the Council should become a Ban the Box employer.

For Committee decision.

The Committee received a report from the Service Director, Human Resources and Workplace, and considered the public forum statement by Steve Paines, Unite in conjunction with this item. The report briefs the Committee on the Ban the Box initiative and asks the Committee to consider if the Council should become a Ban the Box employer.

The following points were raised in discussion:

1. The initiative would publicise the organisation’s willingness to consider candidates with criminal convictions.

2. It was important to understand how the initiative would operate in practice.  There would need to be clear communication and guidance to avoid inappropriate appointments to posts where restrictions applied.

3. Para 13 of the report recommended that questions were asked in a positive way.  This would involve discussions with colleagues around how questions were framed. There would be a focus on interviewers changing the way questions were asked and providing more opportunities for interviewees to describe the context of their criminal record.

The Committee RESOLVED:

                       (i)         To agree in principle that the Council should become a Ban the Box employer.  Officers to work on the detail of how implementation might work.