OFSTED'S report into children's services managed by Darlington Borough Council is not all bad. There are strengths highlighted in important areas such as adoption and the progress of children leaving care – and those positives should be properly acknowledged.

But the official watchdog's overall verdict is that the service is "inadequate", with serious failings placing youngsters at risk. That is extremely worrying and many of our readers will be surprised that no disciplinary action is deemed to be necessary in such circumstances.

We do not doubt that the council has some extremely dedicated and skilled members of staff working in this highly complex area but leadership and management have been found to be lacking and, no matter how the findings are publicly presented, the status quo is unacceptable.

In this prolonged age of public sector austerity, with the North-East bearing a disproportionate share of cuts, councils are having to prioritise so that statutory services are protected. Children's services fall into that category. Indeed, they are arguably a council's most important function and the bottom line is that Darlington Borough Council has been officially judged by experts to be falling short – and getting worse.

Today's damning verdict comes a month after the children's services department at another North-East local authority – Sunderland City Council – was also branded inadequate by Ofsted, which begs the question whether councils are being left over-stretched in striving to maintain essential services.

It is an issue which warrants further analysis but, for now, the clear priority is for the promised improvements to be delivered as soon as possible.

If they are not, then the entirely understandable concerns about a lack of disciplinary action will grow louder.