Merthyr Tydfil council is facing a number of challenges to recruit and retain people to deliver its services, a report by Audit Wales has found.
The audit examined the recruitment and retention challenges the council faces, including how well it understands these challenges, what it is doing in response, and how it reviews the value for money of its approaches.
The main audit question was: “Does the council have proper arrangements to address its recruitment and retention challenges?”
Audit findings
Audit Wales reviewed and tested the recruitment and retention arrangements in the finance, engineering, and highways and children’s services departments during November 2025.
The report found the council is taking steps to address its known recruitment and retention challenges, but it has a limited understanding of them.
The report said the council does not routinely analyse the information it holds, which makes it difficult for the council to determine if it is providing value for money.
It also said the council does not usually identify learning from its recruitment and retention approach to improve how it addresses challenges in the future.
Recommendations and response
Audit Wales has made two recommendations which focus on the council improving its understanding of its recruitment and retention challenges and if its response to them provides value for money, and reviewing its application and on-boarding processes.
The report said: “Having the right workforce in place is essential for a council to deliver the services its communities need and to meet its legal duties.
“To do this the council needs to employ the right number of employees, with the right skills, at the right time.
“The majority of the council’s day-to-day spending is used to pay for its workforce. However it is facing a number of challenges to recruit and retain people to deliver its services.”
A council officer said the council accepts the recommendations and it is looking to take action to strengthen its approach to recruitment and retention.
Planned improvements
They said the council will develop a more consistent workforce planning framework and they’re looking to produce a regular workforce data dashboard taking on board feedback about clear information on things like vacancies, turnover, hard to fill posts, agency use, sickness absence, and future workforce demand.
Actions arising from workforce planning meetings will be recorded and assigned to officers and routinely monitored, they said.
The officer said they’ll further explore assess the cost impact and value for money on recruitment and retention activity and use staff feedback including survey results, exit information, and input from staff networks to identify issues and shape improvements with clearer communication about how staff and managers view some of the challenges that the council has so it can act upon them.
The aim is to complete these actions by March 2027.
The council will also carry out a review of its recruitment and on-boarding process which it has started and it will be focusing on reducing any delays and duplications and understanding more about the delays including the challenges around where there needs to be lengthy processes in recruitment such as within schools.
Improving communication, clarifying responsibility, standardising guidance, and making better use of existing digital systems will also be priorities.
Improvements will be tested with recruiting managers and new starters with measures to track timelines and the user experience with the council looking to review the end to end process by December 2026.
Since the audit the council has implemented a new on line application form which has enhanced the usability for attracting new applicants.
The officer said overall responsibility for delivering both recommendations lies with all of the organisation in terms of looking at improving the recruitment and retention challenges.
