Your offer of accommodation at Sussex is subject to a satisfactory criminal convictions disclosure by you to us.
Why you’re being asked to disclose criminal convictions
You will be asked to make this disclosure so that we may discharge our safeguarding obligations, for the benefit of all students residing in University accommodation.
Certain criminal convictions may result in you not receiving an offer of accommodation or conditions placed upon your offer. We will only ask you about relevant unspent criminal convictions.
Evaluation of your criminal convictions disclosure will be undertaken by the Director for the Student Experience (or their nominee), to ensure that all processing relating to your disclosure is in accordance with our data protection policy [PDF 29KB] and privacy notice.
Relevant convictions to disclose
We consider the following convictions to be relevant in the context of University-managed accommodation:
- any kind of violence including (but not limited to) threatening behaviour, offences concerning the intention to harm or offences which resulted in actual bodily harm
- offences listed in the Sex Offences Act 2003
- the unlawful supply of controlled drugs or substances where the conviction concerns commercial drug dealing or trafficking
- offences involving firearms
- offences involving arson
- offences listed in the Terrorism Act 2006.
Only unspent convictions are required to be disclosed to the University. Convictions that are ‘spent’ – as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (as amended) – or will be spent at the point of taking up the offer of University- managed accommodation, do not need to be disclosed.
If you are uncertain as to whether your conviction is spent, please seek independent advice.
In addition, convictions imposed outside England and Wales which are equivalent in scope or nature to the above list, are also considered relevant unspent convictions and must be disclosed.