The Welsh Local Government Association is to set up a task force to tackle the country's social services recruitment crisis.

The move follows recommendations in a report from Tony Garthwaite, chair of the Association of Directors of Social Services Wales workforce committee, that local authorities needed to rethink their recruiting methods.

Beverlea Frowen, the WLGA's head of policy for health, social care and well-being, said that the task force, which will report back in January 2006, will examine recruitment strategies in England and Scotland.

It will also try to devise strategies to retain social workers who might otherwise move to England.