The mother of Sebastian Selo the little boy who hit the headlines when he travelled to Australia for a life-saving operation has triumphed over bureaucracy to get care for him.

Mertons social services, placed on special measures following a damning Department of Health report in February, had failed to offer Anna Selo the adequate daily respite care she required and had not provided a care plan for her son.

Mrs Selo, of Motspur Park, told the Guardian she is delighted her persistence has paid off and Sebastian will now have a carer three hours a day, five days a week.

They only did something because I kicked up a fuss, otherwise we would have been left with nothing. It looks as though theyve taken it seriously at last, she said.

I hope this will be good news for other people in a similar situation.

Mrs Selo said a carer will help normalise family life.

I will be able to look after my other two children properly instead of just caring for Sebastian. He will be looked after properly, he will be safe in the hands of a qualified carer, she said.

The nine year old continues to make progress three months after his operation at the Royal Melbourne Hospital to remove the benign brain tumour growing since birth.

Sebastian now also shares his father Louis and brother Martins passion for football.

They were watching a game on the television and Sebastian shouted goal. I find it very boring but the three males of the family sitting around enjoying themselves together thats something to be proud of, added Mrs Selo.

Head of childrens services Helen Lincoln said: I am very pleased that a positive outcome has now been reached in this case.

We have worked closely with the family to reach this stage and a great deal of hard work has been put in by all the social services staff involved with the case to make this achievement possible.