Sandwell councillors to be subject to DBS checks from May after rules backed
Councillors in Sandwell will have to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check under new rules which have been backed.
Sandwell Council's ethical standards committee agreed all elected members would have three months to provide the authority with at least a basic DBS check.
It will be put in place after May's elections, with some members having to provide enhanced checks, which sparked some debate when it was initially raised.
The government DBS scheme aims to help employers and organisers see if a person is suitable for a role, with it revealing whether a person has a criminal record.
Two Conservative councillors, leader of the opposition David Fisher and Liam Abrahams, raised the motion in 2021 to improve the public's confidence in the council.
But during the debate, Labour Councillor Bob Piper asked for a deferment on the decision which asked for checks for a "specific number of members" in senior roles.
In November 2022, a consultation into DBS checks for councillors by Sandwell Council revealed three councillors would not agree to a voluntary DBS check. Councillors were split almost evenly on whether the council or they themselves should fund it.
The annual cost for Enhanced DBS Checks would be approximately £1,216, according to the council, while basic checks – based on 72 members would be £1,296. The council suggested it could also go up to approximately £1,936 for a combination of both styles of checks.
Councillor Fisher said: “I am very pleased to see this is being actioned by the council. It is clear we need to make the public confident in this council’s ability to govern again and that’s what the Conservatives are doing locally.
“Without the Conservatives this wouldn’t have been done and given the successes we have proven to deliver with only 10 members of our group – I would hope that Sandwell residents can see that we are on their side and they work with us to increase our influence at the council by electing more Conservatives in May.”
A spokesman for Sandwell Labour said: “We welcome the agreement for elected members to obtain a DBS check.
“It should, however, be noted that a DBS check provides a snapshot of past history only, and should not be relied on as an alternative to due diligence when selecting candidates or rigorous adherence to the member’s code of conduct and the principles of public life.”
