A damning Ofsted report has criticised Sutton Council over how it looks after children in its care. An inspection in April uncovered "managerial oversight at all levels".

Although a team of Oftsed inspectors did not focus on individual cases, the team, which included a representative from the Care Quality Commisson, said: "The overall effectiveness of safeguarding services is inadequate."

There are 153 of the borough's most vulnerable children under the council's care, 47 per cent of which have suffered emotional abuse, 43 per cent have suffered neglect and 2 per cent sexual abuse.

There are no children's homes in the borough and so the council relies on foster carers and reports from schools and police to flag up children who need help. The Safeguarding and Looked after Children Services report stated: "The quality of assessments and subsequent plans are generally of poor quality.

The quality and effectiveness of management oversight of casework is not at an appropriate level despite this being an area for development in the last two inspections of referral, assessment and contact arrangements in 2010 and 2011."

Sutton Council has not said whether any jobs will be lost following the report.

The report outlined: "Core child protection work has had insufficient attention from the council and its partners."

Of the 22 areas in the report, the council was deemed adequate in 16, inadequate in four, and in only two areas was it seen as good. A better picture was painted in children's health which was deemed good.

The report states: "Health outcomes for children looked after by London Borough of Sutton are good and exceed statistical neighbours and national performance" meanwhile "The contribution of health agencies is good".

A cross party statement from Lib Dem councillor David Callaghan and Tory councillor Johnathan Pritchard, opposition children's spokesman at the council, said: "We take our responsibility to ensure vulnerable children are protected very seriously, and we are extremely disappointed by the findings in the Ofsted report."

"Both main parties in Sutton will be working tirelessly to ensure improvements are made, and our services to children are urgently improved. We will not rest until we are satisfied everything is being done to protect vulnerable children in Sutton."

Commenting on the report, Tom Brake MP said, "I have been raising concerns for sometime about the oversight of some aspects of Children's Services.

"I welcome the light that Ofsted has shone on these services and the total commitment shown by the new boss of Sutton's Children's Services to sorting it out."