The words ‘serious and widespread failures’ have come to haunt councils across the country in recent years.

Ofsted’s chosen phrase found accompanying most inadequate judgements makes regular headlines while the sector’s warnings about growing pressures in children’s services go largely unreported. Even after the head of the family courts, Sir James Munby, warned of a ‘clear and imminent crisis’ back in 2016, the issue has been dwarfed by the focus on the NHS and adult social care.