Agenda item

Joint report of the Town Clerk and the Director of HR (copy attached).

The Board considered a joint report of the Town Clerk and the Director of HR regarding changes to the national disclosure regime brought about by the Protection of Freedoms Act.

The Director of HR reported that the new regime was now a lot less onerous and that checks would no longer be automatically carried out on the basis of the office held.

She went on to report that current members would not be affected by the changes and that officers were still currently awaiting the final criteria from government.

In response to a question, the Director of HR reported that it was her understanding that checks would now be portable both internally and between organisations which was a welcome change for many.

The Director of HR reported that the Board of Governors of the City of London School had expressed some concern about the self-declaration element of the new regime. She reported that this was, however, in addition to Corporate HR reviewing checks centrally.

Governors were informed that a report on this matter would now be presented to the Court of Common Council in January 2013 for approval.

RESOLVED – That, the Board:

i)          note the fact that legislation now requires a CRB check be carried out on any Member whose work with children or adults (through the City of London Corporation) meet the relevant criteria. Automatic checks for all members of previously relevant Committees and Boards would, therefore, cease;

ii)         agree an annual review and self-declaration process should be introduced to ensure relevant Members who are eligible for checks are identified; and

iii)        agree that re-checking is introduced for members requiring an initial check, but only at the point when the streamlined national process goes live. Updating checks will then be made every 4 years from the point at which a check was first required and disclosure checks repeated only where required.