The verdict came in a report from the Audit Commission, which described the council's work for vulnerable people as "fair but with uncertain prospects for improvement".

The report says some people in the county feel "alienated", and services to help them are "patchy".

Sue Duerdoth, commissioning inspector for the central region, said the council had worked hard, "but it needs to do more to respond to the particular needs and priorities of local people in Northamptonshire."

Clear priority

The report highlighted a number of strengths and weaknesses in the council's provision.

Among the minus points, it mentioned a lack of definite targets.

However, the report praised some of the council's initiatives, and said social inclusion was regarded as a "clear priority".

Councillor James Ashton told BBC Northamptonshire the council was now trying to focus its work more successfully.

"If you've got an old lady on an estate who's afraid to go out because of crime, she's socially excluded.

"If you've got a single mother in a village with no car, she's excluded.

"It's a terribly wide area, and the first problem we've got to continue to address is to identify the people who are in danger of being excluded or are actually excluded and how we can work better to help them."

The council's service was inspected as part of the government's best value initiative.