ADULT social care in the Dudley borough has been praised as 'excellent' with a 'proud, passionate and committed' workforce, after a peer review by other local authorities.

Officers and elected members from local authorities in Dorset, Telford & Wrekin, Worcestershire and Solihull praised the quality of adult social care in Dudley during a Peer Review into the effectiveness of the service.

The report described the workforce as a 'proud, passionate and committed' with strong caring values and the adult social care leadership team were also singled out for praise.

Urgent care and safeguarding services were also hailed as 'excellent'.

Both the Conservatives and Labour, as the borough's major political parties, were praised for working together to make improvements to the service.

Councillor Nicolas Barlow, cabinet member for health and adult social care, said: "The peer review could not have gone better from our point of view. I am immensely proud of the team.

"All staff were keen to show adult social care to be an excellent service and this is indeed what our visitors found.

"We are all hugely encouraged by their findings, and we are committed to now putting the service on a national map."

Buoyed by the glowing report, leader of the council, councillor Patrick Harley now wants the borough to be one of the best adult social care providers in the country.

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the council, said: "We want the best for residents and that is what the service is achieving. We now need to lead the way beyond the West Midlands."