Close Personal Associations and Relationships Guidance - June 2026
In this section
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Scope
- 3. Principals
- 4. Roles and Responsibilities
- 5. Definition of Close Personal Associations / Relationships
- 6. Defining a Relevant Team or Establishment or Work Area
- 7. Recruitment and Appointment of Employees
- 8. Requirement to Disclose a Close Personal Association
- 9. Where there is a Relationship Between Applicant and Manager or Team Colleagues
- 10. Authority to Appoint
- 11. When Issues Cannot be Managed Effectively
- 12. When a Relationship Breaks Down
- 13. Conduct or Performance Issues
- 14. Close Personal Associations between an Employee and a Child / Young Person or Vulnerable Adult
- 15. Colleagues Affected by a Close Personal Association
- 16. Provision of References
- 17. Financial Regulations
- 18. Associations with Contractors or Potential Contractors
- 19. Failure to Disclose a Close Personal Association
- 20. Ensuring Equality of Opportunity
- APPENDIX 1 - Officers' Declaration of Personal Interests
- APPENDIX 2 - Relationship Protocol
16. Provision of References
When providing references, the individual providing the reference should make clear if it is a personal reference they are providing on behalf of a colleague or formally on behalf of the authority, in line with the Authority’s Reference Guidance, available here Recruitment.
If you are not providing a reference in your capacity as a line manager i.e. formally on behalf of the authority, then the reference should not be produced on the authority’s headed stationery.