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The most important task for Brighton and Hove Council is to ensure that the planned establishment of a care trust leads "directly to better services for users", according to a joint review by the Social Services Inspectorate and the Audit Commission.

The report says this will entail a "sustained focus on customer care, stronger management of front-line services, and skilled management of change as well as ensuring good support for staff and managing their workloads".

The report commended the authority for its drive to modernise and for its commitment to integrate with health. The majority of social services users were well served and there was an overall improvement in the availability and quality of services in recent years.

Older people have benefited from better community care and rehabilitation services and there were many good initiatives across mental health and substance misuse services.

However, progress was not always steady and outcomes for users and their carers are still mixed. Social work services for both adults and children need further attention, consolidation and improvement, says the report.

Some changes were not well implemented. "While some necessary improvements have been slow to materialise, others have been undermined by budget instability, poor planning, or a lack of attention to detail," says the report.

There were extreme pressures on hospital beds combined with an acute shortage of suitable accommodation for vulnerable people with special needs. Closures of local residential and nursing homes resulted in a lack of placement choice especially for older people with mental health needs.

Jean Spray, executive councillor for social care and health at Brighton and Hove, said the council worked closely with the review team during the past year and welcomed its findings. "It is an invaluable benchmark in our efforts to improve performance and we accept the need to continuously strive to deliver better services to more people. Front-line services are a top priority for us."