Social services in Wales have come in for further criticism - only two out of eight local authorities investigated are near meeting adequate standards.

Cardiff County Council came under fire in September for failing to provide adequate services for vulnerable children and the elderly.

Port Talbot: Came out in positive light

The city's leaders have established a taskforce to counter a culture of secrecy and to deal with referrals of children at risk - highlights of the report by the Audit Commission and the Welsh Assembly.

But now a second report by the commission has shown other authorities - including neighbouring Caerphilly and Newport - are failing to come up to scratch in key areas.

Only Neath Port Talbot and Gwynedd are close to meeting its rigorous standards.

Cardiff and Caerphilly had Wales' worst social services.

System delays

The report states that Newport, Merthyr Tydfil, Ceredigion and Conwy are only looking after some people well.

It identifies that these authorities rely heavily on institutional care and as a consequence.

Jane Hutt: Expects high standards

Some vulnerable people are being put at risk because of delays in the system.

The commission found that Neath Port Talbot and Gwynedd were doing much better because social services had been identified by officers and councils as a key area of concern - with proper support for staff.

"Most authorities are struggling to deliver consistently good services," said the Social Services Inspectorate for Wales' chief inspector Graham Williams.

"Resources are often not directed at priority services.

"On any one day, there are probably 100,000 people in wales receiving social services.

"Services do have to improve but - there is a platform by which authorities can make progress."

City attacked

The critical report coincides with an annual conference of social services directors in Cardiff.

There - only two weeks ago - the city's council leader Russell Goodway held urgent talks with Welsh Assembly Social Services Minister Jane Hutt.

The minister addressed the report's finding, which highlighted a "bullying", "macho", "arrogant" and "secretive" management culture at the local authority.

Meanwhile, the Institute for Public Policy Research has called for Britain's entire social care system to be transformed.

The body said that it is now necessary to address the public's understanding that social service departments provide poor services for the poor and vulnerable.