The recruitment industry’s trade body has considered plans to create an ombudsman to deal with complaints about the industry.

Recruiter has learned that the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) considered the move as part of its ongoing drive to raise standards.

But the REC shelved the plans after deciding that an ombudsman scheme had not been successful in the property trade.

The trade body is concerned that government cost-cutting will lead to a reduction in the number of inspectors available to police the employment industry – it currently has just 11 for the whole of the UK.

Director of external relations Tom Hadley said the body had discussed creating an ombudsman with members but had shelved the plans for the time being.

He said: “The feeling was that an ombudsman scheme had not been successful at improving reputations and standards in other industries.”

The real estate industry already has a well-established independent ombudsman scheme, which has been running since 1998.

Estate agents can sign up to the voluntary scheme and the ombudsman has the power to make participating organisations pay fines of up to £25,000.

But the REC has denied claims that it was considering giving a recruitment ombudsman powers to fine rogue agencies up to £50,000.

The number of complaints against recruitment agencies has soared, according to new research.

A total of 85 people complained to the REC in the first quarter of this year, compared with 34 in the same period last year.

The research claimed there was growth in the number of complaints about agencies allegedly involved with gangmasters.