SEND Home to School Transport consultation - have your say!

A consultation to discuss plans to improve the way that families access specialist transport for travel to and from school or college opened on the 5 December 2022 and will run until to 26 February 2023. The consultation has included both face to face events and online broadcasts. The next Transport online event will be held on Friday 20 January 2023, for anyone who would like to find out more.  

 Details of the consultation and both the online and drop in events can be found here:  https://ask.warwickshire.gov.uk/insights-service/send-consultations/ The latest online consultation event can be found here: WCC SEND Public Consultation - SEND Home to School Transport Service - 17.01.2023 

The consultation forms part of a wider programme of work being undertaken to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND in Warwickshire. 

The proposals have been developed in response to feedback collected from engagement sessions that took place between March and June 2022 with parents and carers, children and young people and transport providers. Responses highlighted a need for assessments to be carried out earlier in the year, so that parents and carers can better prepare their child or young person for the start of school. There was also a desire for the County Council to consider options that would help to build confidence and encourage more independence. These included increasing opportunities for young people to participate in Independent Travel Training and wherever possible providing them with a more sociable transport option, such as a bus rather than taxi.    

Views are being invited on three proposals that aim to improve the way that the County Council support children and young people to travel to and from their educational setting:  

• A simplified application process for parents and carers;  

• A more consistent and transparent approach to determining transport options for children and young people who are eligible for home to school transport;  

• Updates to the Home to School and College Transport Policy to make this clearer and easier to understand.  

Cllr Wallace Redford, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport and Highways, said:   

“We have received some great feedback through the consultation so far which will help us to shape our SEND Home to School Transport offer. Listening to and understanding families' experiences of SEND transport is very important, so that we can work together to create better services.   

 

“Views on the proposals are welcome from residents across the county, but we would particularly welcome feedback from children and young people who travel to school or college using the service, their parents and the schools and colleges. So please take the time to fill in the consultation to help shape the future of SEND transport across Warwickshire.”  

 

Feedback from the consultation will inform the future application and assessment process for home to school transport for children and young people with SEND in Warwickshire, and the Home to School and College Transport Policy.   

If approved, the different elements would be introduced according to the timeframe below:  

• New application process - in time for parents/carers applying for a school place for September 2024.   

• New assessment framework to identify travel options for children and young people eligible for home to school transport – in use from May 2023 and used to identify transport options for children and young people starting school in September 2023.   

• Updated Home to School Transport Policy – with affect from May 2023 onwards.   

To find out more and to respond to the consultation visit ask.warwickshire.gov.uk/.  If you would like any further information, please email sendchange@warwickshire.gov.uk or call the Family Information Service on 01926 742274.  For information on school transport visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/sendtransport