Temporary staff for employers in Devon, Cornwall & Somerset

Someone off sick, a busy season, a project that can’t wait, a role you aren’t ready to make permanent. Temporary staff keep the work moving while you decide what comes next. As your temp agency serving Exeter and Plymouth, we find them, check them, put them on our payroll and look after the paperwork.

Cathedral Appointments is a recruitment agency based in Exeter, with a presence in Plymouth and Taunton, recruiting for employers across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset since 1988.

Talk to Clodagh Murphy, our Executive Director, on 01392 575692.

Our numbers: Exeter 01392 413577, Plymouth 01752 354200, Taunton 01823 813122.

What we do for you

• We find and select the right person. We match candidates to your brief, so you meet people who can do the job, not a pile of CVs.
• We check them before they start. Right to work and references, and a DBS check where the role needs one.
• We employ them. Temporary workers are on our payroll, so PAYE, National Insurance, holiday pay and statutory entitlements are ours to handle, not yours.
• We run timesheets and pay. Timesheets are completed and approved online. We pay your temporary worker weekly and invoice you.
• We manage the assignment and stay in touch. Holiday allowance and absence are our job, and we support you and the temporary worker through the assignment, so small problems don’t become big ones.

Disciplines we cover

Temporary cover is available across our disciplines:
Accountancy & Finance
Business Support
Engineering
HR
IT & Tech
Logistics & Supply Chain
Manufacturing & Production
Marketing & Creative

What’s shaping temporary hiring

Three things matter when you take on temporary workers at the moment.

Demand for temporary staff is still growing, but unevenly. The KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs for October 2026, published on 10 October, found temporary billings expanding at the least pronounced pace in five months. The number of temporary candidates rose at its fastest in three months, and temporary vacancies rose only in blue collar, IT and computing, and nursing, medical and care roles.

Agency workers gain rights after 12 weeks. Under the Agency Workers Regulations 2010, an agency worker who has worked in the same role with the same hirer for 12 weeks is entitled to the same basic working and employment conditions as a comparable employee, including pay. From the first day they have the same access to shared facilities and to information about job vacancies. The government’s guidance on the regulations sets this out, and we manage the 12-week clock for you.

However you need to hire

Permanent. Someone to join your team for the long term. See permanent recruitment.

Temporary. Cover for leave, a busy period or a gap in a team.

Contract, interim and fixed-term. A specialist for a project, or a role with a set end date. See contract solutions.

Questions we get asked

How quickly can you find someone? It depends on the role and how specialised it is. Tell us what you need and when, and we’ll tell you what’s realistic before you commit.

What does a temporary worker cost? [We agree the charge rate with you before the assignment starts, so you know the cost before you commit.]

Who employs the temporary worker? We do. Temporary workers are on our payroll, so we deal with PAYE, National Insurance, holiday pay and statutory entitlements, and you don’t need to add anyone to your own payroll.

How do timesheets and payment work? Timesheets are completed and approved online. We pay your temporary worker weekly and invoice you.

What checks do you carry out? Before a temporary worker starts, we check their right to work and take up references. Where the role needs it, we also carry out a DBS check.

Do temporary workers get the same pay as our employees? After 12 weeks in the same role with you, agency workers are entitled to the same basic pay and conditions as a comparable employee. We manage this for you.

Can a temporary worker become permanent? Yes, if it works for both sides. The terms depend on the assignment, so talk to us at the start so they are clear.

Can you cover a role for a fixed period or a project? Yes. See contract solutions.

Which areas do you cover? Devon, Cornwall & Somerset, from our office in Exeter, with a presence in Plymouth and Taunton.

Your contact

Clodagh Murphy, Executive Director. Clodagh leads Cathedral Appointments and works with employers across Devon, Cornwall & Somerset on temporary cover at every level. 01392 575692 | clodagh@cathedralappointments.co.uk

Our numbers: Exeter 01392 413577, Plymouth 01752 354200, Taunton 01823 813122.