WELL done, Bolton! That was the message from John Bolton, the Government's Review Director for England and Wales who addressed more than three hundred people who packed the Pennine Suite at the Last Drop Village.

They were celebrating the fact that Bolton Council's Social Services Department is one of the best in the country.

The Social Services Inspectorate and the Audit Commission made this finding in their Joint Review for 2001.

Adopting a footballing analogy, Mr Bolton - a keen Bolton Wanderers' supporter - added: "You are certainly a premiership side."

Mr Bolton said the aim of the joint review was to help authorities to improve the way they deliver services.

"The judgement was," he said "that you in Bolton are serving most people well."

He said that overall the really outstandingly good services were those for children, mental health and people with learning disabilities.

The services for children had a lot of the right elements in place and this was going to get the department some national interest.

"We found lots of examples where decisions were made from the point of view of the service user," he said.

He said Bolton Social Services had the right balance to do business well and keep the user happy. "The client knows best," he said.

Among the audience were MPs David Crausby and Ruth Kelly, service users and their carers.

They were welcomed by Councillor Cliff Morris, Executive Member Social Services and Health.

"We are seen to be serving most people well with excellent prospects for improvement," he said.

Andy Robertson, Director of Social Services, emphasised that the Social Services Department was not resting on its laurels. And he stressed that everyone in the department had worked together.

"We want to move on and to focus on what needs to be done. There is evidence we are already progressing a tremendous amount. We will continue to progress."