Lewisham Council has confirmed there will be a child death review following the killing of autistic seven-year-old Joel Urhie, who died in an arson attack in August.

This comes after a Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) investigation revealed the family were known to social services at least two months before the fatal fire.

Joel’s murder investigation is ongoing amid reports that his brother Sam Urhie, 21, might have been the target and the arson attack was gang-related.

Concerns have been raised over whether enough was done to safeguard the family, with Sam Urhie stabbed in a knife fight outside the property in June.

The family’s home could have been fitted with a panic alarm and a fire-proof letterbox if the family were at risk, sources told the the LDRS.

A child death overview panel will review the death once an inquest and criminal proceedings are completed, a council spokesperson confirmed.

The reviews seek to understand why children die and put in place interventions to protect other children and prevent future deaths.

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “A multi-agency ‘rapid response’ meeting is held after every unexplained child death.

“A child death overview panel is held for all child deaths once any formal processes, such as inquests, criminal proceedings and serious case reviews, have been completed. No details from either of these meetings would be made public.”

This comes after a letter from Ofsted in September highlighted the use of the multi-agency safeguarding hub needed to be improved.

The hub is a partnership of services including Lewisham police, children’s social care and housing.

The LDRS understands Sam Urhie’s knife fight was discussed at a multi-agency meeting.

Lewisham Council’s children’s social care department was rated as “requires improvements” in February 2016.

The next inspection is expected early 2019.