Issue - meetings

To consider a recommendation from the Audit & Governance Committee.

The Leader of the Council presented the report and proposed the recommendation from the Audit and Governance Committee of 8 July 2024.

The recommendation was seconded by Cllr R Biggs.

Decision

That the Disclosure and Barring Service Checks for Councillors Policy be adopted.

To receive a report by Jonathan Mair, Director Legal and Democratic.

The Director of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer introduced the report.  He highlighted the responsibility and oversight that all Dorset Councillors had over people-based services, in particular children and vulnerable adults and for that reason the move to voluntary enhanced DBS checking had been advised.

All Dorset Councillors had voluntarily completed enhanced DBS applications.  There were just three outstanding checks whereby the certificates had not yet come through.

The policy sought to establish a process to deal with any concerns that arose from the DBS checks and who would be authorised to receive that information.  In the case of councillors, those authorised would include the Monitoring Officer, the relevant Political Group Leader, the Chief Executive, relevant Executive Director and in a case involving potential children’s safeguarding concerns the Local Authority Designated Officer known as the LADO.

In response to a member question, the Director of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer advised that in the case of an independent member the Monitoring Officer would liaise with the member with regard to speaking to the Chair of Council

Recommendation: That the Committee recommends to the Full Council adoption of the Disclosure and Barring Service Checks for Councillors Policy