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Social services and local government leaders have criticised as "disappointing" health secretary Alan Milburn's decision to name and shame badly performing councils on the same day as launching the first ever national recruitment campaign for social workers.

The Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Social Services said the announcement reinforced an "unjust negative image" at a time when social services were "already beleaguered" and the majority of departments were improving.

Public sector union Unison immediately accused Milburn of missing a "golden opportunity" to boost the image and reputation of social services and warned that social services needed support, "not threatening with a big stick".

In his speech to the National Social Services Conference, Milburn moved swiftly from the launch of the £2m three-year recruitment campaign intended to boost the profession's public image to this year's performance indicator results and the names of England's 10 worst performing councils.

He also announced changes to the way councils will be assessed. From next year, each council will receive a "star rating" for its overall social services performance, based on performance data, information from inspections and ongoing monitoring for a "more rounded" assessment.

The best performers will earn themselves greater local freedom, Milburn promised. Rewards could include a lighter touch inspection regime, with the possibility of non-children's services being inspected only every five years; the removal of conditions attached to special grants; and freedom to spend their share of the new £50m performance fund as they see fit.

However, poorly performing councils will be required to meet with the Social Services Inspectorate's chief inspector to agree an action plan for improvement, and councils on special measures who fail to improve services may face further intervention.

The Department of Health will also explore how expertise from the voluntary, statutory or independent sectors could be used to turn around performance where social services are persistently failing, and how top performing councils might be encouraged to take over responsibility for running the worst performers.

Best Performers

Derby South Tyneside
Sunderland
Derbyshire
Cornwall
Rotherham
York
Salford
Dudley
Leicestershire

Worst Performers

Isles of Scilly
Richmond on Thames
Buckinghamshire
West Berkshire
Windsor & Maidenhead
Kirklees
Torbay
Bracknell Forest
Warwickshire
Lambeth

This week's web survey asks: Have Alan Milburn's hard-hitting criticisms of social services damaged morale in your agency? To register your vote visit www.community-care.co.uk 

Last week's question, which was debated at the National Social Services Conference, asked whether the private sector's role in the future provision of care should be extended, as proposed by Prime Minister Tony Blair. A majority of 57 per cent said "no", with 43 per cent saying they believed the private sector should play a fuller part in service delivery.