BacktoTrack

Fair-chance recruitment across the UK

Work you can get. Employers who will look properly.

Whatever is in your past, and whatever you are missing right now — ID, a bank account, a qualification, a way to get there — we will help you sort it and find an employer who judges you on what you can do.

Create a free profile Search jobs now

Free for people looking for work, always. You never have to tell us about a criminal record to search or apply for jobs.

What do you need today?

Pick a starting point. You can change direction at any time.

Most people are not turned down because they cannot do the job

They are turned down because something practical is missing. We work out what that is, help you fix it, and only show you jobs you could actually start.

See how it works

What employers can and cannot see

You decide what is shared, and the rules are built into the platform — not left to a policy document.

Employers can see

  • Your skills and work history
  • Your qualifications
  • The hours and areas you can work
  • Whether you meet the job's requirements

Employers never see

  • Whether you have a bank account
  • Your housing situation
  • Any support you have asked us for
  • Your home address
  • Anything about a criminal record, unless the law requires it for that specific job and you choose to share it

For employers

Candidates who are ready to start, with the paperwork already sorted

Set out what the job genuinely requires — and what you would accept instead. We show you, requirement by requirement, who meets it, who nearly does, and what would close the gap.

  • Say which requirements are essential, desirable or trainable
  • See a requirement-by-requirement match, never a score about a person
  • Guidance on which criminal-record check your role is actually eligible for
  • A full pipeline: shortlists, messages, interviews, offers and hires
Create an employer account How it works for employers

Example match summary

Warehouse Operative — Leeds LS10

  • Right to work evidence Confirmed
  • Warehouse experience (essential) Met — 3 years
  • Can work early shifts (essential) Met
  • Forklift licence (trainable) Not held — you offer training
  • Driving licence Not required

No overall rating of the person. Just what the job needs, and what this candidate has.

Support organisations

If you provide employment advice, ID help, financial inclusion, housing advice, transport help, clothing, mentoring or coaching, you can take referrals here — with the candidate's permission, and only the information they have agreed to share.

Register as a support provider

Training providers

Publish courses with honest entry requirements, real costs and any funding that genuinely exists. We do not advertise free training or guarantee funding that has not been confirmed.

Register as a training provider

Ready when you are

Creating a profile takes a few minutes. You can skip anything you do not want to answer and come back to it later.

Create a free profile Talk to someone first

Questions people ask

The things most people want to know before they start.

All questions
Do I have to tell you about my criminal record?

No. You can register, build a profile, search and apply for jobs without telling us anything about a criminal record.

There is an optional guidance feature if you want help understanding what might be disclosable for a kind of role, and what you record there is yours — it is not shared with any employer unless you choose to release it for a specific job that legally requires it.

Do I need an account to look at jobs?

No. You can search and read every vacancy without signing up. You need an account to apply, save jobs, build a CV or ask for support.

Will employers see that I have asked for help with a bank account or housing?

No. Answers about banking, accommodation, support needs and barriers are never visible to employers. They are only used to work out what support might help you and, with your permission, to make a referral.

What do I need to sign up?

An email address and a password. That is it. You do not need an address, a phone number, a CV or any documents to get started.

I do not have an email address. Can I still use this?

You need one to sign in, but any free email account works and a support organisation can help you set one up. Our support directory lists organisations that help with exactly this.

How long does it take to set up a profile?

About ten minutes for the basics. The longer questionnaire can be done in pieces over days or weeks — everything saves as you go and you can stop and come back whenever you like.

Can I use this on a phone?

Yes. Every page works on a phone, including uploading photographs of documents and building a CV.

Do I have to answer all the questions?

No. Every question can be skipped. Some answers help us show you better matches or spot something we can help with, but nothing is compulsory and skipping a question never hides you from employers.

Can I get a job with a criminal record?

Yes. Most jobs in the UK do not require any criminal-record check, and most convictions become spent after a set period, after which you do not have to disclose them for most work. Our guidance pages explain what applies where you live.

Can I hide my profile from employers?

Yes. Your profile is private by default. You choose whether employers can find you, and you can switch that off again at any time. Applying for a job shares your information with that employer only.

What does "spent" mean?

A conviction becomes spent after a rehabilitation period set by law. Once spent, you usually do not have to mention it, and an employer cannot refuse you because of it — except for certain excepted roles. The period depends on the sentence, not the offence, and differs across the UK. See the guidance.

How do I work out when my conviction becomes spent?

Our guidance tool will give you an indication if you tell it the sentence, the date and which part of the UK it was dealt with in. It is an indication, not legal advice, and it says so. For anything that matters, speak to a disclosure adviser.

Are the rules the same across the UK?

No, and the differences matter. England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland each have their own rehabilitation periods, and Northern Ireland's are considerably longer. Always check against the part of the UK where the matter was dealt with, not where you live now.

Do I have to tell an employer about a spent conviction?

For most jobs, no. Certain roles are excepted — typically work with children or adults who need care, and some regulated professions — and for those you may have to disclose even spent convictions. Our guidance explains which roles are excepted.

What is a basic, standard or enhanced check?

They are levels of criminal-record check, and a role is only eligible for the level the law allows. A basic check shows unspent convictions only. Standard and enhanced checks show more, and only excepted roles can ask for them. Scotland and Northern Ireland use their own systems.

Can an employer ask for a higher check than the job needs?

Not lawfully, and not on this platform. When an employer sets up a vacancy we check the role against the rules for that part of the UK and refuse a request above what the role allows. The attempt is recorded.