Free teen SEND transport could end under new plans

Free transport to an educational setting for 16-18 year-olds with special educational needs and disabilities, (SEND), is likely to end under new proposals from Swindon Borough Council.

A public consultation has been live on the council website since January and will close on Sunday.

Local authorities have no legal requirement to transport this age group and the financially struggling council has been looking for ways to save money.

Local SEND parent Becky Poole said the proposals showed that disabled people were not "well thought of at all" by the Labour administration.

Leader of Swindon Borough Council, Jim Robbins, said the council currently spent £3.4m annually on transporting children and young people with SEND to school, £726,000 is spent on the 16 to 18 age group.

The council recently received emergency financial support from the government.

Mr Robbins said the financial picture was "really difficult" and the council had to look at these "tricky situations".

Before making any decisions on the provision Swindon Borough Council had urged people to have their say via their online consultation.

John Fillon-Payoux's son Ash has autism and ADHD and was awaiting a place at a special school but relied on a lift from his dad to and from school.

Mr Fillon-Payoux was worried about the impact on his job. He said: "My employers have been brilliant but how long this will last is anyone's guess.

"If they force me to make a choice then I lose my job and if I lose my job we lose our home.

"That knock-on effect keeps going."

Mr Fillon-Payoux said money should be made available for free SEND transport because young people had to remain in education until 18 if not employed.

Swindon Borough Council said talks with government were ongoing about funding for the 16 to 18 age group.

Becky Poole runs the Swindon SEND Transport Help Group on Facebook to support other parents.

She said: "Taxi journeys are often wasted - turning up to the wrong people, the wrong houses.

"They've done personal transport wrong, they calculated the mileage completely wrong.

"How much are all these mistakes costing Swindon Borough Council?"

As part of the Swindon Borough Council consultation views were also being sought on whether the council should deduct costs from Personal Travel Budgets for missed school days where the children could have attended school but did not.

This charge would not apply if the child was sick and unable to attend school or college.

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