How did a paedophile slip through the net to become a local councillor?

I’ve lost count of the amount of DBS checks I’ve had. DBS stands for Disclosure and Barring Service, and it replaced CRB checks, which was Criminal Records Bureau.

I had mine because I was a youth-worker, then I freelanced in schools as an artist, I’ve also needed them for visa applications. It’s a simple process, and shows any unspent convictions you have. It shows your employer, the organisation that you want to work with, or the country that you wish to enter, that you aren’t a convicted criminal, and it’s a simple way to stop someone who is, from gaining access to an environment they shouldn’t be allowed in.

If you want to work with young, or vulnerable people. In healthcare. Be a childminder, social worker, foster carer. Work in a hospital, solicitors, veterinary surgeries, even an accountant, you may need to have a DBS check, or be asked if you’re willing to get one.

The system isn’t perfect, but it’s both a safety net, and a good deterrent. If you know you have a criminal record that would bar you from working in these professions, you know that your history will come out and stop you from getting the job.

But there is a gaping hole in the list of professions that require checks – councillors – both civic and parish, aren’t required to be checked, or disclose their past convictions. You can apply for a position, be gifted one, or stand for election, while having convictions for child or spousal abuse. You can be elected while having a history of sexual or physical violence. You can be on the sex offenders register, and still stand as a pillar of the community in a position of responsibility and respect, all while having direct access to young and vulnerable people.

Swindon Borough Council are currently reviewing their policies, and have tabled two options. Firstly, that all members, including non-elected members, undergo an enhanced check. Secondly, encouraging members, but not requiring them, to have a check. I find it disturbing that option two is even being presented.

British Gas insists that anyone working in a customer’s house is DBS checked. That means the person coming to service or repair your boiler, has been through greater scrutiny than the councillor representing you, visiting your child’s school, being invited into your elderly parents house to discuss the bin collections.

When out campaigning, councillors, prospective councillors, and members of their team, will routinely come into contact with young people and vulnerable people. They can, and are, invited into people’s homes to discuss issues. They attend events or organisations run and held by the public, and all while not being required to have a DBS check, or disclose if they have convictions of a violent or sexual nature. Think about that next time someone canvasing knocks on your door. Just because they have a badge that implies they are a safe representative of local government, it doesn’t mean the local government has done any checks to see it they are in fact safe to interact with you or your family.

Swindon Borough Council ended up voting unanimously in favour of requiring all elected members to undergo checks. But what about all the non-elected members, assistants, and representatives that knock on doors of families. Chief Legal Officer, Lisa Hall (no relation to me) did however admit that the council couldn’t force a member to undergo a check. Why not? British Gas can. And members decided not to add a requirement into a new code about parish councils. Parish councils are allowed to have no idea who they are working with and who is representing their community.

All councillors and staff, civic and parish, that have any contact with the public or the publics information need to undergo checks. We simply can’t take their word for it. And furthermore, these checks should be done before someone is elected or appointed. Doing it afterwards is pointless. By that point the individual with the convictions is already in post, potentially causing a by-election.

I would personally like to see an amendment to say that having a conviction of violent or sexual nature will bar them from being allowed to work for local, national, or parish councils. Even if that means they’re in post and get convicted, they need to be removed from that post or office.

I applaud Swindon Borough Council for taking steps in the right direction. But I urge them, and all other councils to step further and quicker. This is an issue that should be decided on a national level, instructing local and parish councils they have no choice but to check that people they appoint and work with are indeed safe to be working with the community. We can’t wait for something more to happen to bring these laws and rules in, there are currently people out there hosting surgeries, knocking on doors, and being invited into homes were vulnerable people and young people live. My abuser was one of them.