"Half of councils still fail vulnerable children", claimed The Guardian.
"Councils failing to learn from Climbie case", echoed The Times, as the Commission for Social Care Inspection published the third annual star ratings for social services in England last week.
But these headlines are not necessarily a true reflection of what's happening in children's services across the country.
David Hawker, director of children's services in Brighton and Hove and co-chair of the Association of Directors of Education and Children's Services, believes they are "much too simplistic", and says it is important to dig below the surface.
And while Hawker claims it is too early to tell what impact joining-up children's services will have on performance, some patterns are emerging.
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