A mother and her son, who has sensory disabilities, are set to receive £6,000 in compensation from the county council over its failure to provide adequate care for him.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, complained to the Local Government Ombudsman about her son's treatment at a multi-purpose day centre in Hertfordshire.

The ombudsman agreed that, for five years, staff did not provide the one-to-one support which the man needed, and that the centre was not suitable for him. He said staff had not been properly trained to care for people with sensory disabilities, and that social services had failed to adequately assess the man's needs.

In addition, he accepted that the man's mother had not received satisfactory support in caring for him, and that she had suffered "wear and frustration" as a result.

The ombudsman recommended the council pay £4,000 to the man and £2,000 to his mother, and that it review its arrangements for caring for people with sensory disabilities.