Safer Recruitment Policy & Guidance April 2024 ( Updated September 2024)

Roles and responsibilities

Ensuring the effectiveness of safer recruitment and selection procedures is the responsibility of the employing department, with support and advice from the People Services team.  

It is the responsibility of Directors, Heads of Service and senior managers to ensure that the department is operating safer recruitment procedures and to monitor contractors and agencies compliance with safer recruitment procedures and standards.

Anyone who is directly involved in the recruitment process, i.e. shortlisting, interviews and assessments, must “declare an interest” if they have a close personal association or relationship with any of the candidates. Please refer to the Employee Code of Conduct and Close Personal Associations and Relationships guidance. 

Where appropriate and where there may be a perception of a conflict of interest, another suitably experienced manager may have to stand in to ensure independence and transparency.  

Due to the size and diversity of the Council, the recruitment and selection of employees will be the responsibility of recruiting managers at several levels across the organisation. Managers involved in the recruitment and selection of staff which have contact with children, young people and adults at risk are responsible for familiarising themselves with, and complying with, the provisions of this policy.

Safer recruitment training is a mandatory requirement for recruiting managers. A minimum of one selection panel member must have attended this training. Please contact the Organisational Development Team for further information.  

The Corporate Safeguarding Group is responsible for ensuring that there are safer recruitment procedures in place and monitoring compliance with them.

The Designated Officers for Safeguarding (DOS) are responsible for managing all allegations made against staff and volunteers who work with children and adults at risk within their area.  

Carmarthenshire County Council has two designated officers:

Rebecca Robertshaw, DOS for Children and Young People  
childprotection@carmarthenshire.gov.uk  

Cathy Richards, DOS for Adults at Risk  
SCHAdultSafeguarding@carmarthenshire.gov.uk