An Ofsted focused visit of children in need and child protection services at St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council last month found provision had deteriorated since the previous inspection in November 2014, when the department was rated "requires improvement".
The decline in services is despite "commitment and financial investment from political leaders", the inspectors' letter states.
In June, the council appointed Professor Sarah O'Brien as director of people. She replaced Mike Wyatt who had held the post since early 2016.
The inspectors' letter states that shortly after the council had been notified about the inspection, O'Brien warned Ofsted that she had identified "serious shortfalls in practice".
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