AN MP has warned against complacency in the effort to transform a North-East council's struggling children's services department, saying child abuse scandals seen elsewhere could be repeated.

Education watchdog Ofsted this week published a highly critical inspection report into children's services at Darlington Borough Council.

The department was deemed inadequate, with Ofsted warning 'significant failures' by managers were leaving some children at 'potential risk'.

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman warned that a situation as serious as the child sexual exploitation scandal in Rotherham could develop in Darlington.

She said: "I think no town or borough can ever be complacent on these issues and I would never accept the argument that [what happened in Rotherham] could never happen here, because it could happen here.

"The way that we stop it happening here is having the best services for vulnerable people and that is what we must have."

The council expressed disappointment at Ofsted's ruling, but is working to implement its recommendations and is taking additional steps including setting up an independent monitoring board to ensure the department improves.

Before the Ofsted report was published, the council began a recruitment process for a new director of children's services, a role that will attract a six-figure salary.

It is a move that has attracted criticism, particularly after The Northern Echo revealed the council had spent thousands of pounds on a firm of headhunters to attract the best candidates.

But Mrs Chapman backed the decision to hire a new director, saying the department needed to be turned around.

She added: "One of the things that Ofsted pointed to in its report to was leadership and management and we want the best, we do not want to be Rotherham.

"We need to get the best person for the job and unfortunately these kinds of salaries are what you need to pay.

"I do not like that, but neither am I going to be arguing for the council to get a director of children's services on the cheap.

"It needs the best person that they can possibly get, with the experience of turning round departments, because I know there are some first-rate social workers in Darlington, doing tremendous work, and they need to be supported and well-managed."

Mrs Chapman said issues of child abuse and neglect are often raised – frequently by concerned grandparents – at her regular surgeries.

She said: "There are 200 young people [in care] in this town, who have already been let down badly, often by their own parents, and they should get the highest possible level of service.

"We can not have inadequate services for vulnerable young people in Darlington.

"There are more children being referred to social services all the time and I sometimes see families in my surgeries who I have concerns over; you see more neglect than you used to.

"This is not just about abuse, the biggest concern for me is neglect.

"I always raise concerns immediately with social services, police or other authorities.

"Occasionally I have gone through schools and I've intervened personally on a number of occasions.

"People come to their MP when they are at their wits' end."

Mrs Chapman has spoken to council leader Bill Dixon about the Ofsted report and plans to meet with chief executive Ada Burns to discuss the issue.

She pointed to the austerity measures initiated by the previous coalition government as a contributing factor in the failing children's services department.

She added: "This is predominantly a question of inadequate resources.

"With the quality assurances that Ofsted quite rightly wishes to see, that work just cannot be done with the level of staff that currently exists."