WIGAN is among 12 councils selected to work in a hit squad set up to improve and speed up adoption and transform the lives of children in care.

The council has been selected to take part in a second wave of work with the government's Adoption and Permanence Taskforce, launched a year ago to help councils deliver better services.

It supports councils in improving their performance on planning and delivering permanent homes for cared-for children, maximising the use of adoption as an option for meeting their needs, and providing back-up for all parties affected by adoption.

Health minister Jacquie Smith said: "The goverment is committed to increasing the number of children adopted from care by 40 per cent and speeding up the process."