AN appraisal scheme being introduced in Rossendale Council housing department could be extended to all sections to help combat a staffing crisis.

Health and housing committee chairman Coun Stephen Birtwell welcomed the initiative saying he was surprised there was no scheme in place already.

The six-month trial period for the employee development scheme will see managers and employees responsible for looking at what skills, knowledge and experience needs upgrading and where the employee sees their development within the department.

Every employee will have a formal development discussion at least once a year and there will be informal six monthly reviews of progress against the agreed action plan.

Coun Birtwell said: "It is not just a question of staff training, it is about making staff feel more a part of their department and the council. I think this is vital and I am very pleased that it is going ahead."

He said there was not a specific staffing problem in the housing section, as there is in other departments, and he would not look to introduce the scheme into the health department until the staffing situation had been addressed.