A REPORT into the death of a 22-month-old child in Oxfordshire has highlighted a “missed chance” by authorities in dealing with his family.

The report, published by the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board, highlights poor information sharing between agencies and said incidents in the past of the child’s mother - such as self-harm, and abuse from a former partner - were not fully considered.

It also reveals that concerns were raised about the child’s wellbeing five months before the death, in an anonymous referral which said the child developmental delay and possible bruising from falling over.

The child - who is not identified in the report - died in November 2010 after being taken into hospital by its parents with a fractured skull and bruising to his abdomen, the report said.

Explanations given by the parents for the injuries were reportedly inconsistent with what doctors found, and both parents were arrested, it added.

In May, the father was jailed for 15 months for neglect. This was reduced on appeal to 10 months, his barrister Lucy Tapper said.

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Owen Morton said: “This was a tragic set of circumstances and we are truly sorry that the child died. Organisations involved have rightly been called upon to explain their role as part of a serious case review.

“The council did not wait for the serious case review to report before acting internally to make the required improvements.

"Appropriate disciplinary action has been taken against a member of staff who was suspended, given a final written warning, taken off child protection social care work and given a period of intensive re-training.”

Oxfordshire County Council has already been criticised this year over its failings to recognise the grooming and sexual abuse of young girls in Oxford by the Bullfinch gang.