To be pissed off with transport for my SEN child?

@blackwhitegrey

@dahliadraws is incorrect. Yes taxi drivers have a licence, but it doesn't mean much.

Some taxi drivers work through a company that logs their journeys but LOTS do not.

the problem is less likely that it's too expensive, it's much more likely it's so small a fare it's just not worth tying their time up for. Sadly that's the reality. In most areas taxi drivers have to charge the meter rate if the journey is in their borough it would meter around a fiver here. To commit to those times twice a day for a tenner just isn't worth it as they have to turn down better paid fares.

i think all you can do is follow the advice, already given, to get them to provide transport

he should be getting it.

best wishes!

My DD is 16 and I’ve taken her (or her dad has) every single day of secondary. She’s got health issues, low iron / vitamins and there’s a big hill and woods to walk through. She’s got the bus home now and then but I adjust my job generally to do this. I drop her on the way to the office or I go back and work from home and if I’m collecting I take a late lunch and pick her up, then log back on again at home. I often join teams calls on my work phone with headphones in when driving. It’s not easy, and 2 more years of this for sixth form coming up in September. My sons both walked to secondary but they didn’t have the same health challenges as their sister

I completely disagree with you. The OP, and many others, have a child with additional needs. As a society we need to support families facing additional difficulties. Most 14 year olds don't need this kind of help getting to school but this child does and this at least is somewhere where help could, and should, be given.
This family is facing many difficulties that "normal" families don't and this is a difficulty that governments can help with.

@Crumpetsssss

Sen is not a universal situation, they are all different. My dd was assessed as capable of using public transport, she had a free bus pass from the council, and did successfully for secondary. We spend 3 months preparing her to do it. As an adult now she struggles with many things, asd is lifelong after all, but has learned how to adapt her life to be able to do what she wants, typically dealing with background noise, wears sunglasses and lot and loves a mask!

Point out to them that the guidance is unlawful and discriminatory, and that you will challenge it through the courts if necessary.

It's actually quite easy. Legal aid can be obtained in the child's name and this sort of claim is dealt with relatively quickly.

Has he been assessed as capable of travelling to school alone? If so that is the issue. Autism doesn't mean automatically you can't travel alone, it's down to individual assessment. Gently ask yourself, are you being overprotective? My dd always travelled on public transport to secondary school, but she wore headphones to help with sound

You clearly don’t understand at all where she is coming from or you wouldn’t have made those suggestions as they aren’t options at special schools

My sons sen school doesn’t have any after school clubs he has to be picked up at 330 no other option. his does have a breakfast club that starts from 815 but that’s fairly unique most special schools don’t have a breakfast club either.

Do you have a child in a special school?
Because it generally ime at least doesn't work the same way that it does in mainstream because those children will need a lot more support which requires.more staff etc
It's really not the same as a child in mainstream going to chess club or whatever after school.

Not in any special schools that I know of anyway
The point being most 14 years are able to independently care for themselves, a lot of children with SEN particularly those whose needs can only be met in a specialist setting will need a lot more support and guidance .

But DC can go in early for breakfast in the morning and/or do a club and then stay late for more clubs in many high schools.

I do understand where you are coming from as I still have to take my high school age DC to school.

Can he go into school early for breakfast/club and then stay for a club or homework in the library after school?

And, yes, to all the ‘just do what normal parents do’ posters, check your privilege. Parenting a child with SEN is a whole different world.

Disability benefits for adults belong to the disabled adult the parent isn’t allowed to take them to replace their lost wages.

if he’d be okay at home for an hour or so in the morning and evening, would he be okay in school for a short period at either end?

At the school I work in, pupils are frequently dropped off up around 45 minutes before school (when the canteen is open but there’s no formal provision) and after school there are homework clubs and the library open for around an hour most nights.

If he could be IN school from 8am to 4.30, would that make the ‘one of you drops off and one of you collects’ option easier?

Most parents of 14 years olds don’t need to do this so it’s not having to do the same as everyone else, that’s why mainstream secondary schools don’t tend to have breakfast or after school clubs like primary does as typical 14 year olds can get themselves to school if they are at the local school.

Does he not get PIP?

Doubt this will be useful but one thing I’ve seen around here (Surrey, another shithole of an authority for SEN) is “lady driving services”… they’re more aimed at driving elderly people to hospital appts but I’ve also seen them dropping off kids at my kids mainstream school. They advertise having DBS.
my DS who’s at a SEN unit within a mainstream is only 6 and so far we’ve had no problems with taxi transport (I feel like the only one in the county!). Surrey’s special trick this year has been to deny transport to all reception child who’ve been given a place through SEN admissions, if they’re not of compulsory school age in September (so 3/4 of kids presumably). So much upset and stress.

How many breakfast clubs childminders etc do you know that are willing to take a 14 year old?

I don't think there is any hard and fast rule I think we are about3 or 4 miles from my Sons special school and he gets transport
It does obviously depend on the needs of the child

Yes I did.
When my DS (13 at the time) was offered a place at a specialist placement the LA wanted me to transport him. One of my arguments for a taxi was that DS didn’t want to travel with me everyday and needed some independence. Also DS is very compliant when getting ready for his taxi driver and leaves on time for him, if I take him it’s a battle to get him ready and he complains about school the whole journey meaning he’s already irritated when he arrives to school.

Do you have a blue badge for him?

We are in a similar position in that we are 1.9 miles. Albeit DS is 6.

We got transport on the basis that it's along two main roads and he has a BB for Risk in Traffic, plus his teacher wrote a statement.

If he has a BB point out he's considered enough of a rosk to qualify

Well good luck fighting them. The kid will have left secondary by the time anything gets sorted unlawful or not.