The council’s social services team’s ability to safeguard children was branded "inadequate" in a damning Ofsted report this year. Staff shortages and a reliance on agency workers were seen as key problems.

But the council has revealed that after funding was made available for a further 10 posts in February, nine have been filled. In addition, a further 14 other social work vacancies have now been filled.

The council’s director of children and young people, Janet Donaldson, said: "Social worker recruitment throughout the past four months has been very successful," adding that the move will mean the use of agency social workers will be reduced.

She said that 11 of the new recruits are newly qualified "and we will need to manage their caseloads carefully during their first year in practice".

In February this year the council was also criticised in a report commissioned by the council and carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers. This highlighted low staff morale and lack of supervision of staff. A number of children’s services staff were suspended following this report.