Social workers from Australia could soon be working in West Sussex to ease a staff crisis.

Plans to recruit overseas are being recommended to county councillors because of a national shortage of qualified staff.

But unlike many Sussex hospitals, which have been forced to recruit nurses from countries such as the Philippines, the council said it would be considering Commonwealth countries.

A report says that social workers from Australia, Canada and New Zealand are more likely to have vital professional skills because their training and legal backgrounds are very similar.

West Sussex Cabinet member for social and caring services Councillor Barry Mack said a specialist firm of headhunters would be used.

He said: "We do not need vast numbers of staff and I would be surprised if the figure was more than ten but at the moment these important vacancies are hard to fill and this is a national problem with many other local authorities in the same position.

"Social workers are in the front line of making assessments and putting care packages into place and without them the whole system breaks down."

Coun Mack said the crisis was also placing a strain on existing staff who could "burn out" under the extra stress.

The council said it will have to pay a specialist agency a percentage of salary to recruit staff which could work out at £3,586 for one senior social worker.

Coun Mack said the council was already spending £415,000 a year on advertising in the UK.