An investigation has been launched into a council's children services amid fears of another Baby P-style tragedy.

The deaths of seven children in Doncaster have prompted ministers to order an inquiry, only a month after Ofsted rated the South Yorkshire authority's provision for children as “inadequate”.

Serious case reviews into the deaths of three of the seven children have already been made public. One report found a “chaotic and dangerous” situation within the team of social workers in charge of the case of a 10-month-old boy who died in the town in December 2007.

Beverley Hughes, the Children’s Minister, has written to Doncaster Council to express concerns at the “very serious” issues raised by the Ofsted report. Miss Hughes has ordered her officials to carry out a “thorough diagnostic review” of the local authority’s children’s services department. The investigation will also look at “broader corporate issues” within the council.

Ms Hughes said in her letter: “It is crucial that the root causes of these failings are fully explored and that the capacity and capability of the council and its key partners to drive improvement in these areas is fully assessed.”

The situation echoes the case of Baby P in London, who died at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger, despite being on the at risk register. Haringey council, which was also rate as inadequate by Ofsted, was criticised when it emerged that the family had at least 60 visits from social workers in the eight months before the toddler died.

In Doncaster, inspectors criticised the high number of child protection cases not allocated to social workers. The three serious case reviews which have already been completed involve babies aged three months, seven months and 10 months. Summaries reveal a series of missed opportunities for social workers to intervene before the deaths.

* A three-month-old boy died on October 21, 2004 after being found unconscious while sharing a bed with his alcoholic mother and an older sibling. The report concluded that the death was a “tragic accident” but found failings in the way the family had been dealt with and noted that “referral thresholds” were too high.

* A seven-month-old girl died on May 18, 2006 after concerns were repeatedly raised that her severely depressed mother was drunk while looking after her. On one occasion the mother was found drunk in bed with the baby.

* A 10-month-old baby died in December 2007 after a number of referrals to social services, including indications that he and an older sibling were at risk of harm from their 18-year-old mother and 16-year-old father.

The review found that social workers were working “against the backdrop of unmanageable workloads” which led to a “chaotic and dangerous situation” within the child protection team.

Child protection in Doncaster is already in the spotlight following two recent murder cases. In October, 25-year-old James Howson was told he must spend a minimum of 22 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering his 16-month-old daughter, Amy. The baby girl’s spine was snapped in two.

Her mother, Tina Hunt, was given a 12-month suspended sentence after admitting cruelty. Leeds Crown Court heard that health visitors went to the house but were shunned by Howson, who went to extreme measures to make sure all visitors were vetted. A serious case review into Amy’s death is expected to be published later this year.

Also recently, Craig Goddard, from Toll Bar in Doncaster, pleaded guilty to murdering his three-month-old son, Alfie. The mother, Lindsay Harris, admitted perverting the course of justice after the baby died of head injuries.

Both are still to be sentenced and full details of the cases have not been disclosed to court.

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