To be pissed off with transport for my SEN child?

[blackwhitegrey]

Urgh. We live 2 miles from SEN autism school. DS14 has been there for 4 years and DH gave up work to look after him when mainstream failed him and he was at home for 2 years. He's doing really well at school now and really thriving. DH really wants to go back to work (and we REALLY need the money). He has been offered a job for September.

• School transport refused as we live too close. They feel it's appropriate to expect a parent to take him to school and that's not disability discrimination (most 14yos don't have a parent walk them to school). Appeal done and refused.
• can't pay for school taxi as it's not a guaranteed place and they don't accept applications until after October half term
• can't pay for a private taxi as all the DBS drivers are doing LEA runs.
• DS can't walk alone the 4 mile round trip as it's a main road, he's autistic, sensory averse, highly anxious and a flight risk
• DS can't get the bus alone as it's too cognitively complex (plus anxious / sensory) and involves crossing 2 major roads.

DS is ok in the house for an hour ish pre and post school. He's pretty good / safe in the house. Would be fine getting dressed and waiting for taxi / waiting for me to get home 30 mins after drop off.

But out the house alone - total disaster.

What do we do??

They didn't make a choice to live somewhere with no transport links - the college is in a rural area with no direct transport links. She can't walk to it either as it's just off a busy dual carriage way. They've lived in their home for 25 years and have had to adjust work/work flexibly etc to meet the needs of their child. SEN or not this is just stuff parents have to do and no one's really 'entitled' to anything these days. You just have to suck it up and move things around to fit.

My DD will be getting the bus to school on her own from age 11. My DS could probably walk to a very close school but his school is rural and there has been no argument at all about taxis - no suggestion that it's our job.
Is the council now going to stop paying for all taxis on the grounds that all parents of children with SEN could take their child to school?

There’s a Facebook page just for SEN transport issues. My son’s special school was less than two miles away and he always had transport and an escort. Also look at IPSEA .

She picked a college far from their house then, same thing! It was a choice. You don’t get that with a disabled kid but you clearly have no experience or even a clue on how hard it is.

@Jobsworths Do all students at the college get a lift from parents? Are there no transport options at all?
That seems a bit odd and indeed short sighted. Most universities that are stuck on a campus in the middle of a field have a dedicated bus (but if students live at home and have parents that kindly drop them off, that's an advantage).

She didn't pick it- the only one around offering the course. My point is all parents and kids have to adapt and there are ways around it rather than just shouting 'but we're entitled! We have a right to this!' Which just doesn't work anymore in a world where we just don't have enough money to support those that might need it.

No idea of that level of detail- I'm sure they explored all those options (as it sounds like the OP has) before settling on what worked best for them.

So in other words you don't actually know if all the students at the college get taken there in cars.
I can fully appreciate that at college level you might want to go further away for a particular course.
The OP hasn't chosen this school because it's an excellent school with many and varied options of different qualifications for her DS, but it just happens to be in an inconvenient location, and there were other more convenient options.
As with many children with SEN, it's the only school that's suitable. Probably the only school that will actually take him.

Why did she to to that college then? Is it the only college that would offer her a place as it was the only one who could meet needs or did she choose to go there, maybe because it offered a particular course she wanted to do and would have to do another course if she went somewhere else.

It looks like you are going to have to be realistic about work ie your dh will have return to work when your son is 16.

I had two dc at different special schools with different times. Fortunately they did have taxis but special schools don’t have breakfast club, after school activities, holiday club so the times are rigid and don’t fit around most working hours unless you are very part-time or work from home in a flexible job.

I had a career I loved but I could not continue as I could not make the times work. When eldest dc went to secondary school they finished at 2.30pm!

i imagine she’ll still have the same issue when he’s 16

OP in your situation I would look into getting a nanny or a childminder. Try childcare.co.uk. Is there a parent Facebook group or something you could ask about car share and offer to pay? You have my sympathy I've got an autistic child currently out of school. The LA did a risk assessment for his measly 5 hours a week alternative provision and said they can't provide a taxi, this will be the case even when they find him a school. so after years of being unable to work due to the appalling SEND provision available I know even when he gets his education I still will be unable to work. I would absolutely pick up another couple kids in my SEN school run when I get to that point because I know how desperate it can be trying to work and care for a disabled child

@Jobsworths yes he does meet the criteria. Hence why people are advising op to legally challenge the LAs decision.

A pre-action letter normally sorts it fairly swiftly. If it doesn’t, JR proceedings themselves will. Certainly before the pupil is no longer CSA.

If the local authority is acting lawfully a pre-action letter or even proceedings wont help.

So she did pick it and she picked that course. Easy to say when you are not the one in a battle all the time
The OP is entitled, the council just don’t want to do it.

As already explained on this thread, the LA isn’t acting lawfully.

This is what most parents do though, granted usually only until the child is 12-13 but still, how were you managing when he was at primary school?

You say your DH is between jobs so perfect time to find one that would allow for flexibility at drop-off and/or pickup time.

Well yes, there will probably still be an issue. My youngest is nearly 18 and in further education and still can’t travel independently.

A problem in my area is that even if the taxi is funded, there is a shortage of taxi drivers who will do the school run. There was a period of time when a taxi driver left and couldn’t be replaced so the local authority asked me to do it and paid me expenses.

@BrumToTheRescue I've read the full thread and I can't see where it says that. Have you read the updated government guidance on this?

You should read the thread again.

A) it doesn’t sound reasonable to expect OP’s DS to walk to school even if accompanied.

B) as explained by me and others on the thread, it is widely believed by many that the government’s amended guidance (yes, I have read it) is unlawful and many find when a pre-action letter is sent the LA backs down.

One remark also, OP from your post it sounds like there is no other option than either school transport or your DH not being able to work.

But what about a few good suggestions from this thread:

1. you do drop off / your DH does pick up, meaning both of you can work FT, just one starting a bit later and the other one a bit earlier
2. you hire a babysitter/nanny (DBS checked) to do drop off and pickup

If you manage to get transport all the better, but in the meantime why no try one of these?

Then she chose a course that was only offered at a college like that- she could have sucked it up and done a different course at a more convenient college.

A disabled child can’t just choose a different school- you get what you are given or nothing at all.

1. you do drop off / your DH does pick up, meaning both of you can work FT, just one starting a bit later and the other one a bit earlier

@blackwhitegrey has explained that this isn’t possible due to the nature of their work (teacher and medical)

@BrumToTheRescue what 'sounds reasonable' and the law are two very different things.
It's unfair to suggest that OP (abs other parents of children with SEN) aren't getting help because they haven't sent the right letters. Due to government cuts the help is no longer there.