Disclosure log

Request

Can you provide copies of any internal information you have about the selection, interviewing and use of agency workers.

Also provide a copy of your internal policy or guidance on how long your retain the following:

1. For agency workers who are selected and start working within your Council.
   Copies of the their CV or Job application and interview notes, record or score sheets, completed exercises or assessments.
2. For agency workers who are interviewed but not selected.
   Copies of the their CV or Job application and interview notes, record or score sheets, completed exercises or assessments.

1. If you do retain both A and B candidate information, please explain why this is and how it meets your Equality and Anti-Di[s]criminatory duties.
2. If you only retain candidate B information, please explain why this is and how it meets your Equality and Anti-Discriminatory duties.
3. If you retain candidate A information but destroy B candidate information, immediately it i[s] decided they are not selected, please explain why this is and how it meets your Equality and Anti-Discriminatory duties.
4. If you do destroy candidate B information at any time, please advise when this takes place and why.
5. If you do destroy candidate A information at any time, please advise when this takes place and why.
6. If you do destroy candidate B, more or less after an interview, please explain how you can ensure that candidate A was selected on the basis of merit as you will not have anything to compare candidate A with any other candidate Bs who had not been selected.

Please explain why this is and how it meets your Equality and Anti-Discriminatory duties and complies with your own internal policy.

Response

1. Corporate Notice 31 entitled "Engaging Temporary Staff";
2. A copy of the temporary agency worker recruitment process;
3. The Wales Audit Office Equal Opportunities Policy and Procedure;
4. Pages 4-5 of Tender for Framework Agreement for the Supply of Financial Audit Agency Staff;
5. Pages 6, 7, and 8 of Tender for Framework Agreement for the Supply of Administration and Support Agency Staff.

Regarding items 1 and 2 above, the names of staff on these documents have been redacted, as providing their names would breach the data protection principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 and therefore this information falls within the exemption provided by section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The names of staff have also been redacted as this information falls within the section 43 (commercial interests) exemption of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as, when names are put in the public domain, they often attract junk mail. While there is generally a public interest in openness, there does not seem to be any particular public interest reason for disclosing these names. Furthermore, dealing with junk mail consumes resources and is not in the public interest. I have found therefore that the balance of public interest lies in maintaining this exemption.

In line with The National Archive recommended retention schedules, the Wales Audit Office holds all recruitment materials including advertisement, CVs, appointment and selection assessment materials for a minimum of 1 year. This includes sections A and B in your request above. Appointment material doesn't apply to agency workers as this is the remit of the agencies. We retain material for monitoring and review purposes (please see paragraph 10.1 of the Wales Audit Office Equal Opportunities Policy and Procedure).