Social services depasrtments in Middlesbrough are among the best in the country, according to Department of Health figures.

Middlesbrough was named as one of the top 15 performing authorities in the performance assessment table released by the department.

The table covers 48 different aspects of social services provided by 150 social services departments across the country.

The indicators ranged from a department's success in arranging fostering and adoption and child protection issues to how authorities encouraged independent living for disabled and older people, and how social services departments reduced emergency admissions to hospital.