Can I work for the NHS with a criminal record?
Depending on the role, employers may be required to check whether you have a criminal record. These roles will be subject to a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (known as a DBS check).
Going to university or into higher education is an option considered by many people with previous convictions especially as universities are considered more welcoming towards people who simply want to learn. Although this may be the case, universities do still ask about criminal convictions.
Although professional bodies such as the General Medical Council and the Association of American Medical Colleges think that criminal convictions are relevant to a student's suitability for medicine, they do allow medical schools to make the final judgment.
The Board may decide that a person is not suitable to hold general registration if it decides that the individual's criminal history is relevant to the practice of the profession. However, there is no automatic disqualification from a licence because of a criminal record.
Can I still apply for a nursing or midwifery course? Yes. Having a criminal record does not mean that you cannot study or work in the nursing profession. Most nursing and midwifery courses will require a placement in a relevant setting.
- Jobs that involve working with children or vulnerable adults.
- Senior roles in banking or finance.
- Law enforcement roles, including the police and judiciary.
- The military, navy and air force.
- Work involving national security.
- Certain roles in healthcare, pharmacy and the law.
The background check includes the following records searches: Criminal Felony and Misdemeanor (past 7 years, all counties, aliases, and maiden names revealed by a social security number trace), National Sex Offender, National Criminal Search, Education (highest degree), and Employment (past 7 years or previous two ...
Being refused a job
There is no legal concept of 'discrimination on the basis of having a criminal record', as there is for discrimination on the grounds of age or disability. Your treatment, therefore, will only create a legal claim if it would do so for someone without a criminal record.
The way that you can remove your criminal record from law enforcement databases is to be granted a Record Suspension, formerly known as a Pardon. However, the process to receive one is often lengthy, so many experts recommend starting the application process as soon as possible.
There is no general legal obligation for a person to tell a university or college about their criminal record. Generally, people only need to disclose their criminal record if they are asked about it. Similarly, for most courses, there is no legal obligation on universities to ask about criminal records.
Can you study midwifery with a criminal record?
Having a previous criminal conviction or caution will not necessarily prohibit you from studying to be a Nurse, Midwife, Optometrist, Radiographer, Radiotherapist or Speech and Language Therapist.
The Medical Board may deny people from getting their medical license if they have been convicted in the past seven years of a crime substantially related to the qualifications or duties of being a doctor.

Nursing Program Disqualifying Factors
Major misdemeanor conviction for crimes involving weapons, violence, embezzlement, dishonesty, misappropriation, fraud or sex crimes. Any felony conviction. More than one drunk driving or related conviction in the past three years. Registered sex offender.
A conviction becomes spent automatically at the completion of the prescribed (crime-free) period which is: 5 years where the person was not dealt with as an adult, or. 10 years where the person was dealt with as an adult.
If you have a criminal history, this will not always prevent you from attending your placement. You will need to apply for an assessment through HealthShare NSW Employment Screening and Review Unit.
The only way to get your conviction removed from police records is to appeal against the conviction through the courts. You will need to seek legal advice if this is something you wish to pursue. I was told my conviction would be removed after five years.
If you wish to become a nurse or midwife in the UK you will need to undergo the strongest type of DBS check. DBS checks are statutory criminal record checks for those who work in frontline roles.
So, Do Colleges Run Background Checks? Yes, colleges run background checks on applicants. However, this doesn't necessarily mean you'll be rejected. Whether you will be accepted depends on the kind of check they do, the type of crime, and how recently it was committed.
If the person was 18 years of age or older at the time of the offense (i.e. legally considered to be an adult), then the conviction will be expunged from their record 11 years after the conviction date (not the offense date).
Simply having a criminal record does not prevent you from getting a job. In a limited number of cases, certain convictions may prevent you from working in certain roles, but, you are likely to already know about this if it applies to you.
How long do criminal records last on DBS?
If over 18 at the time of the offence, a conviction will be filtered 11 years after the date of the conviction, and a caution 6 years after the date of the caution, provided that the applicant did not go to prison, has not committed any other offence and the offence was not of a violent or sexual nature.
Cathy: Remember that if an application form asks if you have a criminal record and your conviction is spent, you can say 'no'. But if you have unspent convictions and don't disclose them when asked, you could be dismissed by the employer. Lynne: Not straightforward is it!
Criminal background checks will reveal felony and misdemeanor criminal convictions, any pending criminal cases, and any history of incarceration as an adult. Arrests pending prosecution may also be reported, and in some cases, arrests that did not lead to a criminal conviction may also appear.
What is a criminal record? A criminal record is where all the convictions of a person are listed. A conviction will remain on a person's criminal record for a period of 10 years.
Most will only ask for unspent convictions, although some might ask for 'any convictions in the last 5 years'. If it's spent, you do not need to disclose it under any circumstances when applying for insurance.