A RECRUITMENT crisis in social services has forced council officials to travel to Australia and New Zealand to find staff to fill 10 vacancies.

Hampshire County Council decided to adopt the innovative approach to addressing the national shortage of social workers by recruiting from abroad.

It is the first time the council has looked overseas in its recruitment for social workers and follows major national and regional recruitment campaigns by the Hampshire Social Services department.

Its actions also follow in the footsteps of other councils, including a number in London, which have been recruiting overseas social workers from a range of countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa for a number of years.

Despite major government recruitment campaigns, there is a chronic national shortage of social workers, a problem which is being felt in Hampshire.

Extra government cash has been made available in London and the home counties, including Surrey, to entice recruits to those areas where the cost of living is high.

But surrounding areas, including Hampshire, have been left lagging behind as high property prices and slightly less pay has made the county less competitive in winning over the sparse number of social workers.

Generous pay offers and cash to help key workers, including social workers, purchase a home have so far failed to put an end to the crisis - forcing the council to take more drastic action.

Recently the county council sent a senior children and families social worker and a senior personnel officer on a week-long recruitment trip to both Australia and New Zealand in a bid to recruit up to 10 social workers for the department's children and families social work teams.

Council officials have said that the trip was a success with its personnel department now following up on the candidates interviewed in Perth, Sydney and Auckland.

These countries are attractive places to recruit from as many of its care rules and practices are similar to those in Britain.

Provisional offers have already been made to 10 social workers and it is hoped that they will travel to the UK to take up their posts soon.

Hampshire County Council's executive member for social care Felicity Hindson praised staff who, she said, did all they could to recruit in this country.

She said: "Our personnel team has gone to great lengths to recruit social workers from within this country, running national and local campaigns, offering 'golden hellos', relocation packages, starter home support, and first class support and training - but there simply aren't enough social workers available in this country.

"We have now looked further afield, concentrating on Australia and New Zealand as their social work services operate and follow legislation similar to our own.

"It is of course vital that we are able to offer our vulnerable children and families the social worker support they need and I am very pleased to see social services adopting this innovative approach to social worker recruitment.

"We know that there are a number of social workers in both New Zealand and Australia who want the opportunity to visit Europe and working within the social services department in Hampshire will offer professional, social and personal development opportunities."

Despite some fears that the visit to the two countries was costly, Mrs Hindson said that it was value for money for Hampshire's taxpayers.

She explained that it cost £3,000 to send two people to Australia and New Zealand, including airfares and accommodation which was "very cost effective" compared with the £6,000 cost of placing a one-off recruitment ad in a specialist UK social care magazine.

On top of this the council also pointed out that it had other benefits.

A spokeswoman said: "The two staff had the opportunity to interview potential staff first hand, rather than relying on an agency to do so, as well as being able to explain to candidates the detail about working for Hampshire County Council so they have realistic expectations."