Concerns over travel change
Slough: Pupils ‘could be left in vulnerable position’
Parents of pupils with special needs attending Arbour Vale school have raised concerns that proposed changes to school transport could leave their children in a vulnerable position.
Slough Borough Council is ‘keen to provide a service which supports the integration and independence of children and young people with SEND [special educational needs and disability]’.
As such, it has opened a consultation on options to change the systems in place. These include:
■ To award independent travel training for eligible young people
■ A bursary to allow families to make their own travel arrangements to school
■ The use of co-ordinated pick-up and drop-off points.
But at a drop-in on Monday, parents of Arbour Vale pupils raised concerns about these.
So far, children have been picked up by a doorto-door service, saving those with complex needs such as autism from having to face public transport.
Some parents are worried their children will now be expected to cope with added stressors they would not be able to handle, such as being left at a pick-up point in winter weather.
They also raised fears that changes may be imposed that would force them to take their children out of Arbour Vale.
They expressed concerns that the consultation was ‘a tick box exercise’ that would not take their views into account.
However, council officers stressed that there would be an individual needs assessment for each child – and if it found that no changes could be made to that child’s travel options, no changes would be made.
Sabi Hothi, Slough council’s group manager for education services, said: “If there is a child who needs one-to-one support, the local authority isn’t going to say no. It has a statutory duty to make suitable arrangements for transport.” In the face of concerns that Slough council was proposing these changes to save money due to its ongoing financial crisis, she added that the council has an obligation to pay ‘what is needed’ to get children to school.
“In the past, there has been a child who was transported to school in an ambulance at a cost of £100,000. That was what was needed. If that’s the cost, that is what will be paid,” said Ms Hothi.
Officers added that it may the case that not a single Arbour Vale student will have their travel plans changed – if that is what their assessments determine is appropriate.
To read more about the proposals or respond to the consultation, which closes on July 21, visit slough.citizenspace.co m/transport/travel-assistance-policy
If you are unable to use the online survey or would like it in another format or language, contact schooltravelconsultation@slough.gov.uk