Members of a taskforce set up by Prime Minister Tony Blair to improve adoption services have visited Nottinghamshire County Council to see how its adoption services are run.

The county was chosen to take part in the project because it is seen as a good performer on adoption.

Director of the National Adoption Taskforce Mike Lauerman and Denise Platt, Chief Inspector of the Social Services Inspectorate were among those to visit the county.

They spoke to adoption workers, three adoptive parents, from Edwinstowe, Blidworth and Sheffield, and a representative from the Catholic Children's Society.

The council's adoption team manager Meg Staples has been also been invited to serve on the Taskforce.

Stuart Brook, director of social services, said: "It's a great honour that the Government recognises what a good job we are doing here in Nottinghamshire.

"We really hope that we will be able to pass on the good practice that we have learnt over many years to other colleagues throughout the County. At the end of the day what really matters is that as many children as possible are able to live in a family setting."

In Nottinghamshire, 155 children have been adopted since April 1998 and the council leads other authorities in the East Midlands, placing 16 per cent of its looked-after children in adoptive homes during 98/99.