A new report states that the overall quality of Serious Case Reviews indicates a strong trend of improvement in the work carried out by those in social work jobs.

According to the report by Ofsted, more than 40 per cent of the reviews they looked into were judged to be good, with only 16 per cent rated as inadequate. However, Ofsted said that the case reviews had highlighted the persistence of key issues in practise which have contributed to shortcomings in the protection of children involved.

As reported by PublicNet, the Local Government Association paid tribute to the dedication of qualified social workers, who are protecting tens of thousands of children.

The report found that of the 194 children involved in incidents of serious cases, 119 were known to children's social care services at the time. 90 were using services as children in need and 49 were the subject of child protection plans. 31 of the children who had died were receiving the services provided for children in need.

Baroness Shireen Ritchie, chairman of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People Board, told Children and Young People Now: "Dedicated social workers who are part of the solution not the problem, have protected tens of thousands of vulnerable children at a time when their workload has been growing."

"The death of even one child is one too many. The number of cases of this type being reported to Ofsted is down by nearly 50 per cent compared to the previous 12 months but there is no room for complacency," she added.