Ms D complained that Buckley Town Council did not follow a fair recruitment process when carrying out 2 recruitment campaigns for the post of Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer. Ms D had applied on both occasions and not been shortlisted. Ms D also complained about a new Recruitment Policy the Council subsequently put in place which prevented her from making a further application when the post was re-advertised.
The assessment of Ms D’s complaint did not identify any concerns with the recruitment process carried out when Ms D submitted her first application. However, it was identified that Ms D had not received a response to her second complaint, which related to the second application she made.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Council’s agreement to issue a response to Ms D’s complaint, about her second application not being shortlisted, within 4 weeks. The Ombudsman considered the action agreed was reasonable to resolve the complaint and it was settled on this basis.
It was determined that Ms D should complain to the Council about its new Recruitment Policy, in the first instance, to provide it with an opportunity to investigate and respond, before bringing any complaint about that issue to the Ombudsman.