LGA suggests funding changes to encourage more social workers

The proposals are part of a five-point action plan, which aims to support councils in delivering child protection.

Other aspects of the plan include: a package of reforms to make it easier for councils to shift services towards prevention; giving councils access to expert safeguarding advice; a call for increased government investment in children's social work so councils can recruit and train high-calibre people; and a need for Ofsted to support councils in improving services.

LGA chair Margaret Eaton said the backlash from the Baby P case risked damaging child protection services by driving existing and potential social workers away from the profession.

She said: "If we don't work hard to maintain an objective and balanced approach, we'll find the numbers of children entering care rising sharply as the system becomes unreasonably risk averse."

She added: "People make a positive choice to work with the most vulnerable children because they want to make a difference but, if we're not careful, we'll create a climate in which the costs of entering this area of pubic service so massively outweigh the benefits that we will force good potential entrants to the children's workforce to think again."