Convictions and Cautions
Disclosure is a core part of honesty. Cautions and convictions must be declared to the GOC as required. Trying to minimise or hide them only increases risk. [2][1]
What to disclose and when
Cautions, convictions, and other relevant outcomes must be declared promptly, including serious driving offences. Details should be accurate, with any conditions or court orders included. [2][4]
Failure to disclose is itself a breach of trust.
[1][3]
Preparing a clear submission
Staff should provide official outcome documents, a reflective statement, evidence of learning or change, and references about conduct since the event. Employers must be informed and interim safeguards agreed while matters are reviewed. [2][6]
- Disclosure checklist: facts of the case; what has been learned; behaviour changes made; workplace safeguards; supervisor comments; and a plan with review dates. [6][2]
- Workplace actions: adjust duties where needed; avoid unsupervised work if risk involves aggression; and review progress regularly. [6][4]
Cautions are not minor
A caution is an admission of wrongdoing and must be treated as seriously as a conviction for disclosure and reflection. Timelines and communications should be recorded so the process is transparent. [8][1]
- Records to keep: who was notified; what evidence was given; when updates were shared; and why chosen safeguards were appropriate. [6][5]
References (numbered in text)
- 16. Be honest and trustworthy. General Optical Council. Find (opens in a new tab)
- Make a declaration. General Optical Council. Find (opens in a new tab)
- Honesty and integrity. The College of Optometrists. Find (opens in a new tab)
- Guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975. Ministry of Justice (Published 4 March 2014; Last updated 28 October 2023). Find (opens in a new tab)
- DBS filtering guide. Disclosure and Barring Service (GOV.UK). Find (opens in a new tab)
- Positive disclosure. NHS Employers. Find (opens in a new tab)
- Predictors of fitness to practise declarations in UK medical undergraduates. Lewis W. Paton; Paul A. Tiffin; Daniel Smith; Jon S. Dowell; Lazaro M. Mwandigha. BMC Medical Education, 2018. Find (opens in a new tab)
- Cautions, convictions and criminal procedures. Royal College of Nursing. Find (opens in a new tab)
References are included to demonstrate that all the content in this course is rigorously evidence-based, and has been prepared using trusted and authoritative sources.
They also serve as starting points for further reading and deeper exploration at your own pace.
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