Parents fear for future over school travel changes

Parents of children with special educational needs say a council's proposal to change SEND travel provision is a "kick in the teeth".

Nottinghamshire County Council is consulting on changes to its home-to-school transport service for over 16s, in a bid to save money, saying annual costs of about £29m are expected to increase to £35m in the next two years.

The Reform UK-led authority could ask families to pay a contribution towards the service or in some cases it could be stopped for some children.

Families of younger children say they could end up having to leave their jobs or even sell their homes if they cannot benefit from the service when they get older.

The council's proposals include asking families with eligible young people aged 16 to 18 to pay a £795 yearly contribution towards council-arranged transport, and changing how eligibility is assessed to encourage more families to use the Direct Travel Assistance Payments option - a grant that helps families make their own arrangements by covering fuel and other travel costs.

Households with incomes of less than £7,400 would not be charged.

It is expected that 800 families will be affected by the changes.

Tom, a lecturer in criminology at the University of Derby, said the proposal to cut transport costs was a "kick in the teeth" after he and his wife spent months trying to find a suitable school for their son Danny.

Danny, 14, who is autistic and also has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD, was in a mainstream school, but was disenrolled after year 8, due to the school not being able to meet his needs.

Tom said they looked at all the schools in their area but none of them would accept Danny due to his level of need.

They eventually found a school 20 miles away in Rainworth - a 45-minute drive from their home.

Currently, Danny is provided a taxi to and from school.

But in two years, he could be one of the hundreds of children affected by the changes.

Tom said the council's plans could mean he and his wife would need to leave their job or cut hours, and possibly sell their home, if they had to take him to school themselves.

"We haven't decided to send him to a school 45 minutes drive away because it's the best school or anything like that.

"We have to send him there because there's no alternative.

"If there was a local school that could facilitate his education then we would send him there, but there simply isn't," Tom said.

He added: "The proposals that seem to be being put forward by the Reform county council are discriminatory against some of the most vulnerable in society."

Local authorities in England are required by law to arrange funded transport for children who live a certain distance from school, who cannot walk because of special educational needs or mobility problems, or who cannot walk for safety reasons.

Rebecca, 37, from Woodthorpe, has two adopted children, Bella and Harry, 10 and nine.

Both children have autism, ADHD and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

She said the process to get her children a place in SEND school started when they were five and four years old and had taken years.

Bella was in mainstream school but her place there "broke down" because of her behaviour towards staff and other children.

After spending a year at home and having to leave a SEND school that "couldn't cope" with her needs, Bella started a new special school this autumn.

Harry currently spends three hours a day in a mainstream school because that is all the school can facilitate, Rebecca said.

Of the council's proposed changes, she said: "It's making me feel worried for the future, when we have fought so hard to get them access to an education and that could be jeopardised.

"I would have to look at whether it is cheaper to stop working, or whether it is cheaper to pay and continue trying to juggle my work schedule.

"Maybe I would have to go on benefits to support the family."

Rebecca said she understood the council needed to save money but said the long-term impact could be damaging.

"I want my children to do their best and be able to have jobs when they're older. I want them to be people who can contribute to society," she said.

The council aims to save £3.65m on home-to-school transport across the medium term, with nearly £1m already saved through axing its discretionary faith transport service from September 2027.

Bert Bingham, cabinet member for transport and environment said: "The ask is for only seven per cent of the total average cost.

"That won't apply to those with statutory rights, they will retain them.

"Everything else will be needs assessed.

"Given the longer term, we will be looking to build special schools in more areas so they are closer to home so the journeys are shorter, and that would reduce the cost."

The consultation is open until December.

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