Key information for prospective County Councillors

Safeguarding - Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Hampshire County Council takes its responsibilities for safeguarding children, vulnerable adults and other vulnerable groups very seriously. Members hold positions of trust and have wide access to the council’s social care and education services, and perform important duties with respect to the council’s safeguarding and education functions.

As part of its strategy for discharging its safeguarding obligations, Hampshire County Council policy is for all elected Members to undergo appropriate DBS checks following election to the County Council.

IT provision

Elected Members will be provided with access to appropriate IT equipment and services for use on County Council business. Hampshire County Council is a paperless Authority and therefore the IT is crucial for accessing agendas and reports as well as managing diary appointments. Support can be provided to Members who are not experienced in IT.

Committee and panels

Hampshire County Council has 78 elected councillors who set the budget and the County Council’s policy framework. Decisions to implement the budget are made by the Executive (known as the Cabinet) which comprises of the Leader, and from two to nine County Councillors appointed by the Leader. Select (Overview and Scrutiny) Committees hold the Executive to account, and have an advisory role in relation to functions of the County Council.

Information about the County Council’s committees, panels and decision making

Modern.Gov

Hampshire County Council uses Modern.Gov to support democratic services and other areas of governance with a focus on digital meeting management.

The Modern.Gov app offers quick and easy access to the papers for the committees you sit on or are interested in. Document navigation is quick and simple, with an index and intuitive controls.

Register of Members' Interests

The Members’ Code of Conduct can be found in the Constitution. The Code applies to all Members when acting in their official capacity, or when giving the impression that they are acting as a representative of the County Council.

When carrying out your business as a Councillor, conflicts of interest can arise. Parts 3 and 5 of the Code of Conduct set out the Disclosable Pecuniary Interests which must be registered, and interests which, whilst not being required to be registered, may be registered by a Member.

A Register of Members’ Interests is maintained to comply with the Localism Act 2011. Members will be asked to supply details to be entered into the Register within 28 days of being elected or re-elected as a Councillor.