SOCIAL care services in Trafford are failing the most vulnerable and at-risk children – and bosses had no idea, a watchdog has said.

Ofsted has rated the department "inadequate" and demanded drastic improvements are made.

Inspectors uncovered a catalogue of failings, detailed in a damning report.

Council bosses were said to have had "no awareness" of how bad things were – and thought services were "good" or "outstanding".

They were said to have had a "serious lack of recognition" of a number of problems and, therefore, no plan of action.

Some children don’t get the support they need quickly enough, while others are left "living in neglectful situations" for too long before they are taken into care, inspectors said.

That is down to a lack of long-term planning, the report said.

Ofsted said that since services were last inspected, in 2015, and deemed ‘good’ overall – and leadership for care leavers rated ‘outstanding’ – there has been ‘widespread deterioration’, caused by management failures.

“Senior leaders had no awareness of the decline in services and no accurate understanding of the current quality of practice,” the report reads.

“They believed services remained good or outstanding.

“A lack of effective management oversight of practice at all levels had led to leaders and managers being unaware of significant weaknesses.

“Had the inspection not taken place, weaknesses would not have been recognised and no action would have been taken.”

Ofsted inspectors rated the department "inadequate" in terms of "overall effectiveness"; as well as the impact leaders have on social work practice.

The "experiences and progress of children who need help and protection’ were said to "require improvement", as were "the experiences and progress of children in care and care leavers".

Inspectors said that for most children, assessments do ‘not fully consider their past life experiences’.

Only a minority of kids’ "wishes and feelings" are well understood and recorded, the report said.

There is also insufficient analysis ‘of the impact of children’s experiences, and their views are not always recorded, Ofsted bosses said.

“Children’s identity needs are not well considered, particularly when children are from a black or minority ethnic background,” the report added.

“This leads to ineffective analysis of risk and need for some children.”

Inspectors said social workers made little effort to make contact and meet with vulnerable young people to discuss why they go missing.

“The offer of an interview is made only once, sometimes inappropriately by phone or letter, and is not followed up again by workers,” the report added.

Management oversight of frontline practice doesn’t ensure work with kids is consistently good, Ofsted said.

“There is little evidence of reflective discussion or challenge to ensure good quality work or an opportunity for social workers to learn or strengthen their practice,” the report reads.

Council chief executive Sara Todd said: “This is a stark report and there’s simply no getting away from that.

“However, rather than shy away from the criticism, I wanted to embrace the challenge that Ofsted has laid down.

“To fix a problem, we need to accept it, deal with it and respond to it.

“Our teams work tirelessly to improve the lives of vulnerable children and young adults and they exemplify the very best of public service.

“Amid the criticisms, there are also positive comments, which recognised that children at immediate risk of harm received timely assessment and intervention that makes them safer.

“We can fix this situation –  and we will – refocusing our energies on raising the quality and reliability of everything we do, especially in this most critical of frontline services.”

A new cabinet member for children’s social care has been appointed, led by deputy council leader Catherine Hinds

An improvement board has been set up, as well as a "full action plan".

An audit team has been brought in to improve "quality assurance processes".

Extra temporary social workers and family support workers have been recruited.

Town hall leader Andrew Western said: “This decline in standards is unacceptable and will be improved.

“We recognise that we need to come together to drive through change in our system and additional resources will need to be found.”

Opposition leader Sean Anstee said the Labour administration had "serious questions to answer".

“The residents of Trafford will have every right to feel let down,” he added.