East Devon District Council (EDDC) has overhauled its safeguarding practices after one of its former councillors was jailed for historic child sex offences. 

John Humphreys is now serving 21 years for sexual offences committed against two boys between 1990 and 2001. 

He was a district councillor from 2007 to 2019 and appointed an honorary alderman after he left the council, an award that was withdrawn following his conviction in 2021.

Humphreys also served on Exmouth Town Council and at one stage had also been mayor of the town. 

A key part of EDDC’s new safeguarding policy means anyone from the council invited to a Devon County Council safeguarding meeting (LADO) should not go on their own and should consult the safeguarding lead.

It follows a recommendation by private investigations company Verita, which had been commissioned by EDDC to review the circumstances around Humphreys’ time on the council.

It found that only one officer from EDDC attended LADO meetings which discussed Humphreys in 2016, where police told attendees information was confidential and no one else should be informed outside the meeting. 

East Devon’s new policy also includes disclosure and barring service (DBS) checks for councillors, clarity about reporting safeguarding concerns, designating “safeguarding champions” and mandatory safeguarding training.

Training is to take place when people first become councillors or officers, and then every three years for officers and at the start of each new term of office for councillors. 

The council also will begin reviewing its process of appointing honorary aldermen this year. 

Cllr Brian Bailey (Conservative, Exmouth Littleham) said: “I’ve been pushing for this for some time. I’m very pleased to see it.  

“It’s not perfect. Nothing in life is perfect, but this is more than halfway to being perfect. And it’s a start and we can build on it.” 

Cllr Sarah Jackson (Independent, Axminster) said: “Practice makes progress, and not perfect, and I think this needs to be an evolving document.  

“If there’s anything [councillors are] not sure about or finding difficult in any way raise that because again it’s a document that can be adapted, a policy that can be adapted over time. 

“Hopefully we’re not going to need to use it too frequently, but inevitably something will come up where we need to raise a concern even if it’s not validated later on.  

“Thank you to all of the officers involved with getting us in a much stronger position, I think, with our safeguarding policies.”