Issue - meetings

Report of the Executive Director – Corporate Services and Commercial

Further to Minute No. 37 of the meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee of 11 December 2024, the Council considered the report of the Executive Director – Corporate Services and Commercial which outlined proposals for Elected Members to be subject to voluntary DBS checks. It was proposed that all Elected Members and Co-Opted Members should obtain a Basic DBS Check and that those Members and Substitute Members sitting on Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services and Safeguarding) and Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health) and Cabinet Members should obtain an Enhanced DBS Check.

The following appendices were attached to the report:

·       Appendix 1 – Letter from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, dated 18^th January 2024

·       Appendix 2 - Risk Assessment of Unspent Convictions or Conditional Cautions

It was moved by Councillor Howard, seconded by Councillor Atkinson and

RESOLVED:

That the recommendations of the Audit and Governance Committee be endorsed and a scheme be introduced whereby:

(1)      all elected Members are asked to agree to be subject to a Basic DBS check within one month of taking office;

(2)      all elected Members who sit on or are Substitute Members on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services & Safeguarding)  and Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health) are asked to agree to be subject to an Enhanced DBS check within one month of being appointed to the committee;

(3)      all Cabinet Members are asked to agree to be subject to an Enhanced DBS check within one month of being appointed to the Cabinet;

(4)      all co-opted Members to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services and Safeguarding) and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health) be asked to agree to be subject to an Enhanced DBS check;

(5)      it be agreed that such checks outlined above  be subject to renewal every 3 years;

(6)      the content of the ‘Risk Assessment of Unspent Convictions or Conditional Cautions’, as attached as Appendix 2 to the report, be approved;

(7)      the Council’s Monitoring Officer be authorised to amend Chapter 2 of the Council’s Constitution to reflect the above recommendations;

(8)      authority be delegated to the Council’s Monitoring Officer to amend the scheme to reflect any subsequent changes to the committee titles; and

(9)      further to the letter from the Minister for Local Government of 18 January 2024, the Leader of the Council be authorised to write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government requesting that legislation be introduced to make it mandatory for all elected Members (and co-opted members) to be subject to enhanced DBS checks.

Report of Executive Director of Corporate Services and Commercial

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director – Corporate Services and Commercial which outlined proposals for Elected Members to be subject to voluntary DBS checks. It was proposed that all Elected Members and Co-Opted Members should obtain a Basic DBS Check and those Members and Substitute Members sitting on Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services and Safeguarding) and Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health)  and Cabinet Members should obtain an Enhanced DBS Check.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues arising from the report:

·       Liaising with the DBS Service

·       Basic DBS Checks compared to Enhanced DBS Checks

·       Enhanced DBS Checks for all Members

·       Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

·       The procedure following a DBS caution

·       Liaising with relevant organisations

·       Frequency of DBS checks

RESOLVED: That

That Full Council be recommended to introduce a scheme whereby: