William Eichler 04 October 2024

Council apologises for flawed approach to travel support

Council apologises for flawed approach to travel support  image
Image: kaskip / Shutterstock.com.

Sandwell Council has apologised after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found flaws in the way it considered a family’s application for travel support.

The parents of a boy with special needs applied to the council for transport to a school identified in their son’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan.

The council turned down the request and a subsequent appeal, claiming it had only agreed to name the parents’ preferred school in the boy’s EHC Plan on the understanding they had accepted responsibility for transport.

The Ombudsman’s investigation found the council did not follow the correct procedure when deciding whether school transport should be provided.

Ms Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: ‘Councils must provide help or transport for children to attend their nearest available school with places, if it is more than the set distance away from home. This distance will depend on the child’s age.

‘In this case, the boy could only attend the school identified in his EHC Plan, and the council should therefore have made suitable home to school travel arrangements for him. But it did not do so.’

A Sandwell Council spokesperson apologised to the family for the distress this matter caused them.

‘Like many local authorities, we are seeing a significant increase in demand for support for children with SEND, with a 51% increase in the number of children with an EHCP since 2019,’ they added.

‘We have already commenced a review of our services so that we can provide the best possible support to children and their parents and carers and will incorporate the points raised by the Ombudsman’s report into this work.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Chief Executive

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation
up to £165,000
Ebbsfleet is one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration projects, a 21st-century Garden City Ebbsfleet, Kent
Recuriter: Ebbsfleet Development Corporation

Virtual School Inclusion Support Officer

Essex County Council
£32768.0000 - £38550.0000 per annum
Virtual School Inclusion Support OfficerPermanent, Term Time£32,768 to £38,550 per annum (full time equivalent)Location
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Senior Business Development Officer

Essex County Council
£36341.0000 - £42754.0000 per annum
Senior Business Development Officer - Integrated Passenger Transport UnitFixed Term, Full Time£36,341 to £42,754 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Adults Social Worker - Neighbourhood Team

Essex County Council
£37185 - £50081 per annum + Flexible Working, Hybrid Working
Interview dates
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Investment Marketing and Web Officer CDC

City Of Doncaster Council
Grade 8, £33,708 - £37,399
The postholder should be experienced in planning social media activity, refreshing web content and analysing their impact. Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Recuriter: City Of Doncaster Council
Linkedin Banner