‘Serious and repeated failings’ have been identified in an Ombudsman investigation into Essex County Council and its handling of transport arrangements for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

One of the complaints from a mother was related to her two children with Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans – specifically, the late and missed pick-ups faced, as well as inconsistent drivers. The mother also described an occasion that her daughter went missing for half an hour due to a lack of clarity around which driver was collecting her.

The second complaint involved a mother and her son with an EHC Plan, whose transport to his alternative education setting had failed to arrive. Additional issues included drivers being changed regularly without notice and unanswered safeguarding concerns that the mother had raised.

Following the investigation, the Ombudsman found that the council and its commissioned transport provider, 24x7, failed in the following areas:

• Undertaking risk assessments for children eligible for transport and sharing results with the transport provider
• Putting in place a ‘reliable and consistent’ driver allocation system
• Accounting for children’s individual needs during journey planning
• Ensuring acceptable responses are given to parents’ safeguarding concerns
• Making its guide for parents and carers on SEND transport consistent with statutory guidance.

Furthermore, the investigation revealed that in just autumn 2025, the council had received over 90 complains about the transport provider, while more than 20 had been flagged in the first two months of this year.

Amerdeep Clarke, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said the incidents ‘caused real distress to children who, in many cases, depend on consistency and routine to feel safe’.

She added: ‘This case should serve as a wake-up call for all councils that commission home-to-school transport, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Contracts that prioritise cost efficiency over consistency can have a real and lasting impact on vulnerable children's wellbeing and their readiness to learn.’

Ms Clarke welcomed the council’s ‘swift acceptance’ of the Ombudsman’s recommendations, with the council having agreed to apologise to the mothers and reimburse the mileage costs of one who required compensation.

Response

A spokesperson for Essex County Council said: ‘We take our statutory responsibility to provide safe and reliable transport extremely seriously and provide around 28,000 journeys every school day in partnership with transport providers.

‘We therefore welcome the findings of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and acknowledge the concerns identified with services delivered by one of our suppliers during the last school year.

‘We are sorry that the experience of children and families fell short of the high standards we expect and we have already begun taking action to deliver the changes required.’

The council’s commitments include establishing clear criteria for triggering risk assessments for children eligible for transport, collaborating with its transport provider to deliver reasonable adjustments for children with disabilities, updating its guidance on SEND transport to reflect statutory guidance, and reinforcing its Performance Improvement Plan for the transport provider.