Birmingham mother of autistic boy 'needed more support'

The mother of a teenage boy with severe autism did not receive enough support from the local authority, an ombudsman has ruled.

Sally Clarke said it took 18 months to get help from Birmingham City Council and she had no help with her son Charlie at weekends or during school holidays.

Dr Jane Martin, the Local Government Ombudsman, said the family had been placed "at unnecessary risk because social workers failed to consider the wider implications of the family's situation".

Birmingham City Council apologised and said it was reviewing its procedures.