West Sussex County Council 'desperately' trying to recruit social workers

West Sussex County Council is relying on agency staff due to cover vacant positions

A county council has said it is "desperately" trying to fill an increasing number of social worker vacancies.

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) had 62 unfilled permanent social care jobs as of last month.

With a further 46 staff listed as full-time absent the council is using 78 agency staff - leaving a shortfall of 30 positions.

The gap represents 6% of the workforce, up from 5% 12 months ago.

The council's scrutiny committee heard permanent and agency staff were "a scarce commodity nationwide", making recruitment and retention "a challenge", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council said it was working to fill the vacancy gap, with seven social work apprentices due to complete their training this summer, and a further 60 applicants shortlisted for interview for the September intake.

West Sussex County Council said it was working to fill the vacancies

Lucy Butler, WSCC's director of children, young people and learning, told the committee: "I don't think we've ever experienced a time where recruitment has been so tough.

"We are doing everything that we can think of - and we do put a lot of effort into this - but it's a very tough terrain out there at the moment."

The council has also been looking abroad for experienced social workers, bringing in staff from as far afield as Zimbabwe and Canada.

Ms Butler said it had been getting harder and harder to recruit individual social workers.

She added: "We are desperately trying - we're trying to be innovative and we're trying to think of new things.

"It would be wrong of me to say that this is an easy thing. It's a real challenge."

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].