Social services has defended the way it cares for vulnerable youngsters after it was accused of "dumping" them on Oxford City Council.

Bill Baker, former Oxford Lord Mayor and current deputy city council leader, said Oxfordshire County Council was failing in its duty of care towards homeless young people.

He claimed the department passed responsibility for these youngsters to the city council who, he said, did not have expertise to deal with them -- despite being the authority responsible for housing.

He added that social services was not following up their progress.

Veteran councillor Mr Baker said: "There's something lacking in the relationship between the city and county councils.

"In the last six months at least 60 people, who legally come under the Children Act, have been sent from the county council to the city council so we can house them.

"I have had trouble in my ward recently and it's obvious the county council is not particularly good at following up these children.

"You can have young girls aged 16, who have other problems besides being homeless, being put in temporary accommodation with older people.

"They can be extremely vulnerable and the county council fails to carry out their duty of care -- they just dump them on us and expect us to house them.

"We haven't got the aftercare service in the city like social services has, and yet we're expected to house these people when we have no expertise and no officers qualified to look after them."

The city council has seconded a housing officer to County Hall's social services team in a project to improve response times in dealing with homeless youngsters.

County councillor Louise Chapman, cabinet member for children, young people and families, said: "Mr Baker's remarks simply bear no resemblance to the truth.

"Indeed, they are offensive to the social care workers and staff who work so hard for vulnerable young people.

"In the overwhelming majority of cases we manage to work together to mediate and help the young person return home or to friends, or we sort out housing and benefits and they are able to make a success of it.

"These are complex and sensitive areas.

"There is a difficult dividing line between a young person who is homeless and being vulnerable and in need of social care services and therefore we work very closely with the city council using an agreed protocol.

"The bottom line is that there are some very troubled youngsters, estranged from their families, who we all have to help. We are committed to doing that.

"Comments to the contrary are about as wide of the mark as it is possible to be."