Oxford services 'failed to spot severely neglected child'

Health and social services failed to recognise a child was being neglected until they were admitted to hospital, a serious case review has found.

The child was underweight when they were assessed in 2016 and doctors said without intervention there was a "significant risk" to their life.

Oxfordshire's safeguarding board said there was a "piecemeal approach with a lack of coordination" to their care.

The board said "lessons had been learnt" by the agencies involved.

The report's author, Jane Wonnacott, said it was "fortuitous" the child received treatment to "prevent a fatal outcome".

The case review, which refers to the child as "Child K" to protect their identity, said they were living in "extremely poor" conditions "indicative of child neglect" with no hot water or heating.

The report said they were home schooled from the age of four and had "significant contact with health services" due to constipation problems.

Child K's family was also known to social care services due to matters involving an older sibling and Thames Valley Police made a safeguarding referral in 2011, investigators said.

But it was not until March 2016 that the "severity of Child K's medical condition became apparent" the report said, after they were taken to a GP appointment by their mother.

When the child was later admitted to hospital, they were placed under police protection before an emergency protection order was granted.

Ms Wonnacott said no professionals had recently seen the child at home, with the last visit six years ago.

"The main opportunity to recognise their experience of neglect lay in the lack of progress with treating their constipation," she added.

The report said the child's mother found it "hard to cope with her family circumstances", which led to the child not attending doctor appointments.

A lead reviewer was told problems with "effective coordination" for services for people in similar circumstances to the child "may be an issue beyond this specific case" in Oxfordshire.

Ms Wonnacott said delays publishing the review were due to a three-year police investigation, which ended in the Crown Prosecution Service not bringing any criminal charges.