Social services chiefs have said they are disappointed their department did not get a higher inspection rating

Durham County Council received one star for the year 2000/2001 by the Social Services Inspectorate. The highest rating the inspectorate can award is three stars.

The inspectors found that services for adults and children served some people well and the prospects for improvement were promising.

But the council believes the rating, which was announced at the end of last month, was based on information that was 18 months old and did not reflect the department's current position.

Social services director Peter Kemp told the council's cabinet that the judgement on the children's service did not reflect "significant developments recently progressed'', but it should be accepted.

However, the judgement on adult services was harsh, he said, and should have been that it was serving most people well. He had written to the inspectorate asking it to revise its rating in the light of more recent data.

But the inspectorate has ruled that out, saying that it was their "considered judgement having taken all the available information into account".

Mr Kemp said: "I am confident that the council will improve its performance over the next two years.''

Cabinet member Christine Smith said: "We certainly are disappointed. The study was done 18 months ago and things have changed dramatically since then.

"There has been quite a lot of pain along the way to effect change.

"I am sure a lot of the indicators we were measured on would give a higher rating if we were measured now.''