Review of disclosure and barring regime calls for enhanced criminal record checks for councillors on certain committees
An independent review of the Disclosure and Barring Regime has recommended a mandatory enhanced criminal record check for all councillors in unitary and upper tier authorities who are being considered for appointment to “any committee involved in decisions on the provisions of children’s services or services for vulnerable adults”.
As part of the Government’s strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, the Home Office commissioned the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for child protection and abuse investigation, Simon Bailey, to carry out a review of the effectiveness of the disclosure and barring regime.
The review identified several areas where the regime could be strengthened, and made nine recommendations.
After consulting with officials from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), Simon Bailey found that there is “no uniformity of practice” among councils in relation to obtaining criminal record checks for safeguarding purposes.
He said it appears that some councils obtain enhanced criminal record checks for all elected members, while others obtain the checks in respect of councillors prior to their appointment “to any committee involved in decisions on the provisions of children’s services or services for vulnerable adults”, to assess their suitability for involvement in those decisions.
He added: “It appears that there are some councils which do not obtain DBS checks at all”, noting that the lack of uniformity in approach is “in need of correction”.
In the report’s fifth recommendation Simon Bailey said: “I recommend that an enhanced criminal record check is made mandatory for all councillors in Unitary and Upper Tier Authorities who are being considered for appointment to any committee involved in decisions on the provisions of children’s services or services for vulnerable adults.
“I accept that this would require legislation and therefore some inevitable delay, so I further recommend that these authorities are encouraged to adopt this procedure as best practice pending legislation.”
The report also recommended mandatory enhanced DBS checks “together with barred lists checks” for applicants for the grant or renewal of a door supervisor’s licence, or the grant or renewal of a close protection licence.
Simon Bailey said: “I have concluded that the potential risk to both adults and children posed by encounters with door supervisors justifies, indeed requires, the extra level of safeguarding.”
Lottie Winson
