The report identifies a worker shortage in children's services

The study claims local authorities should work together to try to recruit and keep hold of social work staff.

The report says improvements in pay and conditions would encourage more social workers to stay in the profession.

It points to a major shortfall of council social workers in Wales, with 379 posts left vacant last year.

Around 1,000 social workers were questioned by the authors of the report, which is published on Monday.

'Revolving door'

Other than teachers, social workers are the largest single group of qualified workers employed by councils, with around 2,500 currently working in Wales.

The research, written by representatives of several different agencies involved in social care, highlights that there were 379 vacancies for social workers across Wales in 2004 - a shortfall of 14.8%.

The report, called Social Work in Wales: A Profession to Value, found the shortfall of social workers in children's services was even higher at 18.6%.

As well as recruitment, staff turnover is identified as problem with many social workers leaving the profession and others moving between local authorities.

The movement of staff between councils described by the report as a "revolving door syndrome".

'Worker vacancies'

The report states: "We find ourselves in a position where the demand for social workers is in excess of the supply.

"There are too many social worker vacancies in local authorities and the impact on services is being further compounded by the fact that there is also too much movement of social workers.

"The net effect is damage to the capacity of local authorities to deliver social work services to those who need them."

The authors praised councils for the incentives they have offered in an attempt to keep hold of workers, but says this has led to competition for staff between authorities.

The report calls for a shift away from competitive recruitment to greater collaboration at an all-Wales level.

'Recruitment crisis'

Improvements in pay, training, and working conditions are also suggested to boost staff retention.

Tony Garthwaite, Bridgend council's director of personal services, chaired the group which wrote the report.

He said: "We believe (the report) will be a major contribution to what must now be a national effort to solve the recruitment and retention problems we are facing.

"We call upon all those involved in promoting the well-being of service users, carers and staff to consider how best they can respond to the challenges placed before them."

The group which wrote the report was made up of representatives of Wales' four regional social care partnerships, the Welsh Local Government Association, trade union Unison, the British Association of Social Workers, the Care Council for Wales and the Society of Chief Personnel Officers.

Paul Elliott, head of local government for Unison Wales, welcomed the report.

He added: "The recruitment and retention crisis in social work is acute and is...impacting on the most vulnerable members of our society."