Danielle Reid's body was found in the Caledonian Canal

Danielle Reid was murdered by her mother's boyfriend and dumped in the Caledonian Canal in Inverness.

HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) said Highland Council and its partner agencies need to do more so that services reach all children.

The council said the report showed staff were making a difference.

Lee Gaytor attacked Danielle at her mother Tracy Reid's home in Inverness in November 2002.

Her body was put in a suitcase and dumped in the canal, where it was found in January 2003.

The case led to an independent investigation of child protection in the Highlands by consultant paediatrician Dr Jean Herbison.

The pace of progress was encouraging in most areas but assessment of risks and needs required further improvements to ensure that appropriate services reached all children HMIe report

Her 196-page report published last year made 68 recommendations on how services could improve.

An HMIe inspection team has now released its evaluation of how Highland Council and its partners, such as the police and health service, have done in meeting those recommendations.

This inspection was carried out as part of a wider pilot inspection which used Highland as a case study to assess child protection services in Scotland.

In terms of Danielle, inspectors found that considerable progress had been made and there was "stronger and more ambitious strategic leadership".

However, inspectors said in their conclusion: "The pace of progress was encouraging in most areas but assessment of risks and needs required further improvements to ensure that appropriate services reached all children."

'Positive difference'

Arthur McCourt, Highland Council chief executive, said the HMIe evaluation confirmed that the agencies were doing their job.

He said: "I am pleased that this further evaluation confirms that continued progress is being made, that agencies are working effectively together and that our staff are making a positive difference to the lives of children and families."

Alistair Dodds, chairman of the Highland Child Protection Committee, said the report reflected the high priority the authorities had given child protection.

Officials face the media after the release Dr Herbison's report

Meanwhile, the wider HMIe inspection found that councils needed help retaining experienced social workers.

The report said recruitment had become a "critical issue".

Using Highland as an example, it said authorities had been struggling to maintain a stable workforce within social work departments because experienced staff had been lured to neighbouring councils by financial incentives.

It said efforts to fill vacancies by recruiting from abroad were not always the answer because there was often a lack of knowledge of the Scottish system.