DARLINGTON Borough Council's staff absence level is still above its target.

In June, The Northern Echo reported the average employee spent 10.75 days off per year because of sickness in 2006-7.

That was up from 9.69 in 2005-6. In response, the council set a target of 9.69 days for 2007-8 - but the end of year projection at the end of July, was 10.23 days.

A council report to the resources scrutiny committee stated: "Although the current predicted out-turn is 0.54 days above target, this figure is encouraging, in that it represents an improvement since this time last year.

"Further proactive work on both managing sickness cases and health care promotion is ongoing to improve future performance, including proposals for developing an employee well-being strategy." At a meeting yesterday, the resources scrutiny committee decided chairman Ian Haszeldine and vice-chairman Geoff Walker would receive a monthly report on staff sickness absence. The committee will also examine cases where sickness absence has increased by more than ten per cent.

The department projected to have the highest absence for 2007-8 is children's services, excluding teachers, leadership and schools' non-teachers. Their figure is projected to be 12.18 days per member of staff a year.

Teachers and school leadership have a projected figure for this year of 9.87 days per member of staff a year.

The department with lowest sickness rates is the chief executive and corporate services, with an end of year projection of 5.25 days off per member.