Vulnerable children in Calderdale are not being properly protected.

Help and support for youngsters at risk is inadequate at every level, according to Ofsted.

Government inspectors have just published a damning report into Calderdale Council’s services for protecting children and found them to be wanting in every area, leading to young people being put at risk.

They have now ordered the council to immediately tackle a number of issues.

These include: management, referral and assessment services and record keeping on children.

The scathing attack comes on the back of a warning from Ofsted in 2010 and a report six months ago, which said that a number of areas needed improving. Since then the situation in Calderdale has deteriorated.

In their latest summary, inspectors stated: “Children who may be at risk of abuse are not being helped quickly enough. The council needs to sort this out immediately.”

“The Calderdale Safeguarding Children Board and social work managers are not checking thoroughly enough that things are done as well as they should be.”

In the full report, they stated: “Children and young people are not sufficiently protected as risks are not consistently identified or managed.”

“Crucially, the contact referral and assessment services for child protection and children in need are not sufficiently safe or secure. ... As a result, children and young people are not protected.”

The report refers to “significant failings in the quality of practice,” adding “leadership and governance are inadequate” and criticises “the ineffectiveness of assessment and planning within the contact and referral services for the most vulnerable children”.

It also referred to the high turnover of staff and use of agency workers in the First Response Team (FRT), leading to families having several changes of social worker, adding: “practice within this part of the service in unsafe.”

“The council’s self-assessment...was not accurate and was over-optimistic.”

As well as immediate improvements, Calderdale has three months to sort out performance management, ensure practices to safeguard vulnerable children before they are born are in place, records are better kept, delays are reduced and the views of the child are taken into consideration.

A spokesman for Calderdale council said: “The council has made significant improvements across children’s services, but there is further work to do to make sure practice is consistent, according to the Ofsted report.”

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, Clr Megan Swift, said: “We’re obviously very disappointed. Significant progress has been made, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

“We have a strong management team, committed social workers and a clear, robust plan. Our priority is, and always will be, to keep our children safe.”

The council spokesman added: “New social workers have been recruited and the number of agency staff has been reduced to make sure there is consistency for children and families.”

The full report is available at: www.ofsted.gov.uk/local-authorities/calderdale .