Bank accounts, insurance and disclosure

Bank accounts, insurance and disclosure CESI 9th December 2013 Christopher Stacey Director (Services)

Unlock Independent award-winning charity set up as an organisation in 1999, and registered as a charity in 2000, by people with convictions Providing trusted information and advice services for people with criminal convictions. Work with government, employers and others to change policies and practices Aim – To create a fairer and more inclusive society so that people with convictions can move on in their lives

Unlock Don’t deliver Government-contracts – not competing Maintain independent provision of services to people with conviction (funded through charitable grants and donations) – Helpline, Information Hub, Online Forum, Disclosure Calculator, Online Magazine, Information Sessions Share knowledge and expertise to help individuals within the CJS by providing support and training to organisations and front-line practitioners

Opening basic bank accounts before release

Why is it important? “I need a bank account so it will help to get a job and so I can keep money safe.” “My release money can go into bank account, as well as benefit assistance to stop me losing it or spending it.” “Because I want to get a job when released so I need it in order to be paid.”

Need / Demand In 2011, we found that: Between 30-40% of people in prison do not have a bank account when they enter prison. Between 26,000 – 38,000 people are released from prison every year without access to even a basic bank account.

Solution Partnerships between high-street banks and prisons Identity confirmed using PSI template Accounts opened before release Different banks have different set-ups

Results (1) Halifax Pilot: 5% closure rate after 6 months. “Prisoners statistically better customers than average basic account holders.” Halifax and Barclays: 95% application success rate. Opening accounts at average rate of 7.5 accounts per prison per month Co-operative Bank have opened thousands of accounts. Evaluation showed re-offending rate dropped 34.8% Halifax & Co-operative community awards Barclays and Co-operative have received significant positive press coverage, including The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, London Evening Standard, The Guardian, and featured on BBC Radio 4’s MoneyBox.

Results (2) 122 prisons now have basic bank account opening processes in place This equals all that want and need one Unlock have directly assisted in setting up 74

Activities of the banks Halifax – 33 prisons Co-op – 29 prisons HSBC – 19 prisons Barclays – 16 prisons RBS – 13 prisons Santander – 5 prisons

Moving forward April 2014 – post Unlock? One prison / one bank Shifting landscape – ‘Resettlement prisons’ Capacity in the prisons Service-delivery arrangements – soft/hard outcomes?

Insurance for people with convictions(briefly)

Issues Most mainstream companies have blanket policies towards people with unspent convictions Covers ‘anybody normally residing in the household’, such as partners and children If in prison for length of policy, not normally an issue

What to disclose? Since April 2013, only have to disclose if asked If asked, only ‘unspent’ convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 Convictions that are ‘spent’ never have to be disclosed, even if there is a question

Where to get insurance Unlock has a list of specialist brokers Some well-known insurers may provide some types of insurance with some convictions, e.g. motor insurance for people with non-motoring convictions Take extra care if an insurer does not ask questions about criminal convictions Get written proof you have disclosed your conviction or that they do not need to know

Support to practitioners on disclosure

The need Changes to the criminal records regime are constant and confusing Changes to the ROA – first major change in 40 years DBS processes – eligibility, filtering, sent to individual No government plans to provide practical support Practitioners tend not to receive adequate, accurate and up-to-date training Result is ineffective/inaccurate advice, poor outcomes, and issues later down the line (e.g. losing a job)

‘Working with Convictions’ Training workshops Content can include: Current and future ROA; Criminal record checks; Eligibility; Filtering; When and how to disclose; Getting insurance; Getting a bank account; Travelling abroad Regular future information e-updates for attendees Half-day training updates to respond to latest developments

‘Working with Convictions’ “The disclosure training provided by Unlock is engaging and comprehensive. We held a REACH staff event to look specifically at the changes to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and staff who attended commented how useful the day had been. Whilst the principles around disclosure are a core part of any service that assists people with convictions into employment, some of the legal aspects are quite complex and I would recommend anyone who works in this field to think about completing the Unlock training to ensure they are fully up to date. Carrie Peters, Director of the REACH Project

Disclosure Calculator disclosurecalculator.org.uk Find out if convictions are ‘spent’ Will be updated once the law is changes Organisations can set up accounts to allow them to build it into their service to their clients

“This is a really excellent tool. Our staff used to have to spend a lot of time understanding the Act and working out spent dates for each client. The Calculator saves us a lot of time and reduces the risk of human error” Resettlement services provider Disclosure Calculator Cost is based on the number of uses you purchase Ranges from 100 to 1,000 per years

Contact details – Me / Office Christopher Stacey| Director (Services) Email: christopher.stacey@unlock.org.uk Phone: 01634 247350 ext. 202 Mobile: 07557 676433 Office Write: 35a High Street, Snodland, Kent, ME6 5AG Phone: 01634 247350 Email:admin@unlock.org.uk Web:www.unlock.org.uk @unlock2000

Bank accounts, insurance and disclosure