Multiple serious incidents regarding the welfare of vulnerable children in Cornwall were notified last year, new figures show.
Serious incidents involve death or serious harm to a child where abuse or neglect is known or suspected, and any death of a looked after child.
The number of serious incidents notified across England has declined in recent years, but a child protection charity said reform and investment are still needed to keep children safe.
Figures from the Department for Education show four serious incidents regarding children's welfare were recorded in Cornwall in the year to March – in line with the year before.
Across England, 338 serious incidents were notified in the year to March – down from 405 the previous year, and the lowest figure since DfE records began in 2019.
It means there was around one notification per every 35,000 children across the country.
The DfE said each incident can relate to more than one child, and not all serious incidents get notified, meaning the decline does not necessarily mean there has been a fall in the actual number of incidents across the country.
Of all serious incidents recorded last year, 162 related to a child's death, and 167 to serious harm.
Sam Whyte, associate head of policy at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said the declining number of serious incidents notified is "encouraging".
However, she warned the figures remain "a sobering reminder of the urgent need for safeguarding reform".
She said: "Behind each of these numbers lies a heartbreaking truth – a child who has suffered significant harm or lost their life, often in circumstances where more could and should have been done to protect them.
"While the reduction in notifications shown by the data may be encouraging, the figures are still a stark reminder that we must address the immense pressure that frontline services are facing to protect children and move the dial so that we support families before they get to crisis point."
She called for more investment in early intervention services as well as the reforming and further funding of child protection services.
"We cannot delay any further in overhauling the child protection system and ensuring we have the resources and structures in place nationally and locally to keep children safe," she said.
The DfE said reform to children's social care to ensure earlier intervention will be brought in by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and that it is doubling council funding for early intervention.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: "All incidents of abuse or neglect relating to children are abhorrent. This Government inherited a children’s social care system failing to meet the needs of the country’s most vulnerable children.
"Our landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is the biggest overhaul of children’s social care in a generation, driving better child protection and improved information sharing between teachers, social workers and other professionals to prevent children falling through the cracks.
"As part of our Plan for Change, we are also doubling council funding for early intervention, giving thousands more families the support of a specialist worker who can provide all the help they need."