Inspectors found a series of cases where children known to Wakefield Council's children's services department were at risk, but the situation had not been identified and appropriate action had not been taken to help protect them.
The inspection, which took place in June, was prompted by a two-day "focused visit" to check on provision, which was conducted in late February.
That found that social workers are under pressure from high caseloads and suffering from "low morale". Inspectors found high numbers of unallocated cases and that the council is at loggerheads with partners on how child protection thresholds are applied.
Under the Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services (ILACS) system, introduced earlier this year, local authorities that are rated "good" or "outstanding" receive a short one-week inspection every three years while those graded as "requires improvement" will get a standard two-week inspection every three years. These councils will also have at least one "focused" visit between inspections.
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