Children’s minister Ed Balls met frontline social workers at a residential centre for vulnerable families in Battersea last Wednesday.

The 24-hour centre was chosen because it is one of only a few in the country to have been judged outstanding by Government inspectors.

Mr Balls was joined by several other decision-makers, including Lord Laming, who chaired the public inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie.

Councillor Peter Dawson, who welcomed the visitors, said: "The work that goes on in our family centres is often unsung but it is vitally important in ensuring that children who are vulnerable or at risk in any way are properly protected and looked after."

The centre’s exact location cannot be printed because its tenants are vulnerable.