TWO departments at Wiltshire County Council have been shaken up in a bid to improve services.

The Education and Libraries department has taken on the responsibility for children's services while the Social Services department has been replaced by an Adult and Community Services department.

The Department for Children, Education and Libraries will bring teachers, social workers, educational welfare officers, school advisers and youth workers together.

It will have responsibility for all county council services that impact on children such as fostering, education and the youth service.

The Department for Adult and Community Services will provide all services to vulnerable adults.

This includes services for the elderly, adults with physical impairments, learning disabilities and mental health difficulties, the drug and alcohol team and the community safety team.

This new department is another step towards the introduction of care trusts which will provide integrated health and social care services.

The changes to the council's departments are the result of a major review of how services are delivered and follow extensive consultation with staff, service users, voluntary and community groups.

Councillor Judy Seager, cabinet member for Social Services, said: "Frontline services will continue to be provided by the same people. Initially service users will not see a great deal of difference. However, over time they will find that services are easier to access and that delivery of the various elements of their care will be better co-ordinated."

Bob Wolfson, director of Children, Education and Libraries, said: "Our priority has to be ensuring that the children of Wiltshire get the best possible start.

"By focusing all of our services for children in the new department I am confident that we will be able to provide even better services and give vulnerable youngsters the best chances of success."