FIGURES revealing a 40 per cent increase in the number of Worcestershire children in need of social services protection appear shocking, particularly in the aftermath of the dreadful Baby P case in Haringey.

The terrible torture and killing of the toddler has provoked an outpouring of grief and anger across the country.

Social services in Haringey have been vilified for their handling of the case, though we wait for the publication of a report next week to see if anyone loses their job over the child’s death.

It is inevitable that social services departments elsewhere in the country are now being questioned about their ability to prevent such a tragedy.

The reality, of course, is that stopping an evil individual from committing such a crime is far from easy.

What is important is ensuring social services departments have the staffing and skills necessary to identify children who are at risk of abuse or neglect at the earliest possible stage.

The new figures for Worcestershire show these kinds of early interventions are happening more frequently in the county.

There has to be a balance between the apparent failings in Haringey and the gung-ho attitudes that caused the Cleveland scandal at the end of the last century.

But the indications are that Worcestershire’s social services are doing a good job in protecting the most vulnerable of our young people.

We should be grateful for that – but the council must know there is no room for complacency.