SOCIAL workers from Romania and Kenya are being offered jobs in a bid to end Torfaen council's recruitment crisis.

As previously reported, the authority's social services department is struggling to recruit staff.

It has around 80 social workers - 30 working in children services - but there are still 20 vacancies.

The four were interviewed in December after a consultancy seeking employment for foreign social workers approached the council.

Three of the four offered jobs in the local authority's social services department are from Romania and the fourth is from Kenya.

All four have experience and interest in children services and two have five years post-qualifying experience.

Councillors learned of the offer during a meeting of the social services members task group, which the public was not allowed to attend.

Gary Birch, (pictured) director of social services in Torfaen, told the Argus recruitment of social workers is a "major problem" in Wales and England.

He said: "We must be ever more innovative to overcome it. Our priority is to make sure that standards of care to vulnerable people are maintained. Given the right support and training, social workers from other countries can make a significant contribution."

He added: "Torfaen is leading the way within Wales on innovative schemes, especially to help unqualified workers become qualified. However, it takes three or four years to train a social worker so it will be some time before this problem diminishes."

The four staff must comply with the normal security checks on people working with children before their appointment is confirmed.

They have already been given clearance by the Home Office for a five year work permit and it is expected the new recruits will join the department in mid February when they will undergo a three month induction/training programme.

The foreign social workers may be entitled to relocation expenses. But Mr Birch said: "Overall we do not expect it to prove costly."