Private sector trouble-shooters will be sent in to rescue social services in four local authority areas in England.

The government has also ordered a further six councils to improve their record by November or face similar action.

The 10 local authorities each received zero star ratings in Department of Health performance tables published for the first time on Thursday.

Among them was Haringey social services which failed to save eight-year-old Victoria Climbie from fatal abuse at the hands of her guardians.

Just eight councils were awarded the top rating of three stars with most of England's 150 councils receiving just one star.

Click here for the full ratings

The tables reveal huge variations in the services provided to vulnerable children and adults across England.

Haringey social services failed to save Victoria Climbie

Only two councils - Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster in London - were found to be serving their communities well in adult and child services.

The six remaining three star councils were found to be providing social services to "most" of those in need with "excellent" prospects of improving.

They will now be given greater freedom to decide how to spend their money and to determine their priorities.

Zero star councils

Birmingham Bromley Coventry East Sussex Haringey Merton NE Lincolnshire Swindon Wakefield Walsall

A total of 50 councils received two stars with the majority providing a full level of social services to "most" adults and children in their area.

However, 82 received just one star as they provide proper care to only "some" adults and children but are showing signs of improvement.

External experts

Of those departments with zero star ratings, external support teams will be sent to Birmingham, Coventry, North East Lincolnshire and Walsall.

Private sector consultants with social services experience will work with councils.

Three star councils

Bexley Cornwall Kensington & Chelsea Leicestershire Newcastle upon Tyne Wandsworth Westminster

The Social Services Inspectorate is drawing up improvement plans for the remaining six zero rated councils ahead of a reassessment in November when a second set of performance tables will be published.

Haringey Council acknowledged its zero rating showed "weaknesses that still exist in some of our services."

Victoria Climbie was on its books when she died after months of abuse from her great aunt Marie Therese Kouao and boyfriend Carl Manning.

Both are serving life sentence for murder.

But Birmingham City Council said the figures were out-of-date.

Ms Smith pledged to stamp out variations

Director of social services Sandra Taylor said: "Today's rating reflects a past performance which we have publicly acknowledged as poor and does not take account of the progress made over the past 18 months."

Denise Platt, chief inspector of social services, said the ratings were a fair reflection of services.

"The zero rated councils are those where children were not allocated social workers or there was no system for reviewing cases.

"They have poor relations with other organisations and the local health service so older people are not helped properly when they leave hospital.

"The three star councils are those that have good systems in place which try to prevent children from staying unallocated for a long time and have good relations with local hospitals so older people do not fall through the cracks."

Tackle variations

Health Minister Jacqui Smith promised immediate action would be taken to start improving performance in councils with a zero rating.

"The star ratings demonstrate that there is clearly excellence in our social services but it is currently only available to some.

"Our goal is to make it available to all and to minimise the variation in social services across the country," she said.

The Local Government Association welcomed the tables.

But councillor Rita Stringfellow, chairwoman of its social affairs and health executive, said they were concerned that there was not enough focus on pressures that particular communities and councils faced.

The Association of Directors of Social Services cautiously welcomed the tables.

President Michael Leadbetter said: "It must never be forgotten how much excellence is to be found in all of our social services departments."

Politicians also criticised the tables.

Conservative Party health spokesman Tim Loughton said: "The onus is on the government to give the help and resources needed to improve and fix them, not just name and shame them."

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Paul Burstow added: "Instead of inventing new star ratings to pass the buck of blame, the government must address its failure to recognise chronic staff shortages, care home closures and cash shortfalls."