Will you qualify?
What to expect after applying
Travel options for children with SEND are slightly different to a children without these difficulties. Please see the relevant section below.
Providing travel assistance for eligible children and young people
We aim to provide travel assistance to meet the needs of all children and young people whilst delivering a sustainable service. Each year, the demand for routes changes and so routes will be reviewed in line with these changes.
For children and young people with SEND, we aim to keep changes to a minimum but there will be times when changes are unavoidable. These are some examples of unavoidable changes:
- When a contract comes to the end of its term
- When an operator can no longer transport the children
- If a driver or passenger assistant becomes ill, retires or leaves the company
The Transport Commissioning Service will aim to provide as much notice as possible to parents/carers to help support children and young people manage the change.
Timeframes for children using mainstream services
If your child is assessed as eligible, they will usually be offered a pass to use on either a public bus or a Council contracted bus. However, you may also be offered one of the following:
- Rail card (a photo will be required for their ID)
- Cycle allowance
- Cash Grant – this is available to parents where there are no other suitable alternatives. Parents are paid a mileage allowance of 23p per mile for four journeys (home to school to home X2).
An outcome letter will be sent to you by mid-June to inform you of whether your child is eligible for travel assistance. A pass will be issued to you by mid-August.
Please note: this is only applicable to parents who applied for a school place on time and where there are no change in circumstances. In any other case, a response will be issued to you as soon as the team are able to process the application.
We have ten working days to respond to the application. The team have a further ten working days in which to send out a pass, if the child is eligible. This may be longer during peak workload: June to September. A letter will be emailed to you with the outcome of the decision.
Please check your junk mail or spam folder for the email.
Timeframes for children using SEND travel
If your child has been assessed as being eligible for travel assistance and it has been identified that they would struggle to use a school bus or public transport, you will be offered one of the following:
- transport from a designated drop off and pick-up point in the form of a taxi or minibus, whichever is most suitable*
- a cycle grant
- independent travel training
- a personal travel budget
*The team will organise children onto shared vehicles, taking into consideration their needs and the mix of the children on the vehicle. An assessment will also be carried out as to whether a passenger assistant is needed.
Parents/carers cannot make any changes to the contract. Drivers/companies will be penalised for agreeing to anything that we have not contracted. Any requests for changes need to be submitted to the Transport Commissioning Service for approval.
The Transport Commissioning Team aim to have the travel details sent out by mid-July. The letter will provide you with the details of the contract and a contact number for the company. You can arrange a meet and greet with the driver and if appropriate, passenger assistant. This will provide your child with the opportunity to meet the driver and for you to share any details about how your child travels.
The Transport Commissioning Service will require at least five working days to identify a space on an existing contract or at least ten working days if they need to set up a new contract.
If your child travels in their wheelchair, the team will also need to complete a Wheelchair Assessment. This can delay the timescales. It is important this is completed prior to travel starting to ensure your child is able to travel safely to and from school.
A Risk Assessment may be required to ensure both their safety and the safety of all people on the vehicle. This will prolong the timeframes. You may be asked to submit any Health Care Plans to help inform the Risk Assessments and ensure that we understand what support is required.
What you can expect from travel assistance
Travel assistance will be provided for the child to attend school or college under the following circumstances:
- for school, the beginning and the end of the usual school day, term time only
- for colleges, the same 3 or 4 days a week and typically for 9am start and a 4pm finish
- travel is only offered to and from the school/college the child is on roll at
- travel will only be provided to and from one address
When travel assistance isn’t provided
Travel assistance is provided to support a child to attend school or college. It does not have to take into consideration:
- parents/carer’s working patterns or parents//carers having to take children to different schools
- attendance at before or after school clubs
- attendance for extra-curricular activities
- if your child is ill, excluded or has a medical appointment in the middle of the day
- if your child misses their pick-up time or bus
- examination timetables
- induction days or taster days
- transition timetables
- part-time timetables
- work experience
- a child being educated at a site other than the school they are on roll
Passenger assistants
Please note: The Commissioning Team continue to work with the market but we still have limited availability of drivers and passenger assistant.
Passenger assistants are not normally provided on vehicles. When considering whether a passenger assistant is necessary, we will take account of:
- the young person’s medical needs, particularly where rescue medication is required
- where an individual's needs create a clear danger or health and safety risk to themselves and other passengers on the vehicle
- where a passenger assistant is required to help manage the journey and support all passengers on the vehicle
Passenger assistants are not medical professionals and, in an emergency, will call for help from the emergency services, via 999.
We have a Code of Conduct for the drivers and passengers assistants, more information can be found on our travel assistance policies and guidance notes page.
