SEN transport

[ineedstrongcoffee]

hi im wondering what is the norm regarding sen transport.our childs escort is sick and so we have been told we have to take child to school as no cover is available
im just wondering if it is our resposability or the councils as said escort could be sick for quite awhile
thanks

[starfishmummy]

in our experience/local authority they would send a stand in.

[TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission]

same as starfish, they send someone else. There's no way I could take/collect dd3 and get the others to/from school so she wouldn't be going if we were in your shoes.

[Debs75]

If it is just a day then usually we have to take ds to and from. If the escort is ill for a few days or even weeks then it is the council's job to provide cover.

[ineedstrongcoffee]

thanks. we have had a right problem with them just not turning up and when we complain we just get "we have no cover"
grrrrr
anyway they seem to have found cover now,pity they turned up after we had already took child to school.
nevermind if i count to 1000,00000 i might just be able to laugh at their disorganization

[Debs75]

If it is in your dc's statement then they have a duty to take him to school and have to take reasonable steps to provide that service. I would remind them of that next time they try and fob you off with the 'no cover' line.
Or tell them it costs £xxx to send dc to school and back in a taxi so if it happens again you will be charging the council

[starfishmummy]

It doesn't even need to be in the statement, and often isn't unless ther are very specific needs. IPSEA have some good information www.ipsea.org.uk/Apps/Content/html/?fid=48

[AlysWho]

In our LA its the taxi firms responsibility to find an escort, ours usually use family members or others drivers for escort on days when she's not available.This is fine for us cos its a small firm and we know them all. They always tx/call me aswell to let me know. I would have a chat with the taxi company and ask them to have a couple of stand in escorts. x

[Nigel1]

Let us look at the law. A child with a SSEN has the school named in pt 4 of the SSEN. As such unless there is a clause in pt 4 to the contary, the LA is responsible for transport. The logic being that if the child can not get to school then the SSEN can not be enforeced as the chidl not attending the school. S444 Education Act - thats the bit that allows the LA to prosecute parents who dont send their children to school expressly allows a statutory defence for the non provison of tpt.
To put it another way. It is predictable that an escort may not make a days work. The LA needs to have plans in place to cover for that. In reality that means they devolve it to the taxi compnay. Any relief escots need to be known to the child, partiiculary if he has ASD.
If you do the escort/ tpt then ask for milage.
Hope this is helpful