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There has been a major change of tack at Birmingham’s inadequate children’s services department.

For several years now all who care to listen have been reliably told by a succession of officials and politicians that progress is being made and improvement is just around the corner – despite damning evidence to the contrary.

Now, following the departure earlier this summer of strategic director Peter Duxbury, there appears to be a different message. In July the council’s vulnerable children scrutiny committee was told by his successor Peter Hay that the department cannot guarantee the safety of children under its care, so deep-rooted are the problems.

But if that message was not bleak enough, the committee’s September meeting was given an even more desperate assessment from children’s services director Jacqui Jensen.

It is doubtful that Birmingham City Council has witnessed a more downbeat assessment of one of its departments by its own management.

There was no attempt to brush over failings and poor performance and no attempt to put any positive spin on the situation. It was about as bad as it can get – like an alcoholic at rock bottom.

Her presentation was bleak – there is a recruitment crisis with a huge number of vacancies.

Social workers are facing unprecedented and unsustainable workloads leading to an increase in sickness absence and stress.