A SURREY mother and son have been awarded £6,000 in compensation after Surrey County Council and an NHS trust were found to have failed in their duty of care.
The mother, known only as Mrs D, complained about the care she and her son, referred to as C, received from the council and the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust between January 2007 and February 2011.
The report came to light on Tuesday last week at a county council Cabinet meeting, where councillors admitted it was "uncomfortable reading".
In 2005, when C was 13 years old, he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder. In 2007, C left school and Mrs D struggled to cope with his "controlling and abusive" behaviour.
Mrs D complained that in the four-year period between 2007 and 2011, there was a "total lack of care and treatment" for C and the services provided to them were "inadequate".
Mrs D's own mental and physical health suffered as a result of the lack of support and she was unable to work due to stress-related illness.
A Local Government Ombudsman, who investigates complaints about councils, found there was a "service failure" by the trust and "maladministration" by Surrey County Council.
Dr Jane Martin said that C falling behind in his education while he was out of school was a "clear injustice".
She added: "Better communication with Mrs D and better coordination of services with a single point of contact would have lessened the difficulty for Mrs D in pursuing services for her son and reduced anxiety and distress."
The council and trust have been told to write to Mrs D to acknowledge the report's findings and apologise for their impact.
It recommended the trust pays Mrs D and C £500 each and the council pays them £2,500 each.
The council should also offer to work with C, through Connexions and Autism Champion to help with higher education. An action plan will also be implemented to address the failings identified.