SOCIAL services in Kent are among the best in the country, according to rankings just published.

Kent County Council has again been awarded the top three-star rating in performance ratings for its social services published by the Government. Kent is among only 16 out of 150 authorities to be awarded the top rating.

Inspectors say services for both children and adults in Kent serve most people well and that its prospects for improvement are excellent.

The county council has been hailed for its innovative staff care package which has resulted in one of the lowest turn-over rates among social workers in the country. It has also been praised for its recuperative care, enabling many more older people to leave hospital and live independently.

Social services director Peter Gilroy said: “This top rating is a credit to our most important asset, our staff, who daily provide a range of services to tens of thousands of people.

“It is impossible to do everything we would like to but we try to do our best with the resources available to us. We do need to remain focused and know that there is always room for improvement.”

KCC’s cabinet member for social care Cllr Peter Lake said: “Kent has many unique pressures. It has the highest number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children to support in the country and wealthier neighbouring London boroughs drive up service prices of care homes in Kent. This makes achieving the top standard even more encouraging.”

Star ratings are based on performance indicators, inspections, reviews of plans and information on performance from the Social Services Inspectorate and external auditors for each council. They are published each year.