It spent 7.4m on agency social work staff during 2003/04, and an annual performance review from the Commission for Social Care Inspection says staffing problems in children and families services remain "a serious threat to performance in some areas".
Vacancies are "unevenly distributed in child care teams across the county", it adds.
Clair Pyper, the council's head of children and young people services, said steps were being taken to improve recruitment and retention, including a return-to-work scheme.
Despite its concerns, the commission did praise the council for improvements in a number of areas, including adoption.
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