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Petitions and activism
Original poster

My Council wants to axe the buses that take disabled teens to school and college- please help!

82 replies

BitOfFun · 21/03/2015 20:02

We parents have set up a petition to let people know what they're up to and ask them to reconsider. These cuts will have a DEVASTATING impact on the kids who use this service.

The link asks that you be a Sefton resident, but it actually isn't essential: after all, we all know families and friends (me, for a start Grin) who will be affected if these cuts go ahead. And once one council gets away with it, you can be sure others will follow. Conversely, if one group of parents can show that we won't go down without a fight, it makes it harder for councils in other boroughs to attack similar services.

Please please sign and share on social media if possible.

thanks Flowers

OP posts:
TalkinPeace · 21/03/2015 22:27

Sorry
I'm in Hampshire .... pretty darned south :-)

look up Community buses
they do get council money but because of the structure of point to point routing and variable timetabling
AND community buses are allowed to meet train timetables do NOT get me started on that one
a £10k parish spend can replace a £30k district spend ...

KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 21/03/2015 22:28

From personal experience I know that you can change things like this.

At the moment it's in the consultation stage, so really they shouldn't have already made the decision or the consultation is a farce. That's possible.

However, they'll be relying somewhat on people not making much of a noise. They can easily dismiss the odd letter or a few angry people. However, if you heap negative publicity on them, show that there is public interest and generate a lot of interest, then they DO take notice as negative publicity hurts, and there's an election coming up after all.

Original poster
BitOfFun · 21/03/2015 22:31

Yes- how can it possibly be legal to waste money on a consultation exercise (hardly cheap), if the result is a foregone conclusion?

OP posts:
vjg13 · 22/03/2015 07:44

We had a "consultation" last year about cutting direct payment and aiming high support to all but families having social service support. Many respondents pointed out that this would result in more families needing social service support and in turn costs and demands would dramatically increase.

Participants in the focus group were offered £40 to attend Shock It has been dropped at the moment but I'm sure will start up again post election.

Pagwatch · 22/03/2015 07:56

I've signed and shared.

We recently endured a consultation to change the use of a residential wing attached to my sons special school.
The three council and LEA staff attending did not even realise that the wing was used for learning programmes so the students could improve their life skills in a setting away from him. They didn't even know what the wing they were trying to alter was used for. It was shocking as hell.

Well, except it wasn't [sigh]

Good luck BoF

KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 22/03/2015 10:08

Bumping this morning for you BOF since it looks like the thread has been moved to the Petitions graveyard!

Where exactly is this topic anyway? I only find myself in it when a thread gets moved.

Original poster
BitOfFun · 22/03/2015 11:21

Hey, it's dark in here...

What sort of sour-faced dick reports a thread like this? It's hardly asking you to vote for ma prinny in the Beautiful Baby Contest, is it?

Jeez.

OP posts:
Pagwatch · 22/03/2015 12:30

Sour faced dick indeed.

Arseholery.

KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 22/03/2015 13:49

There's a few sour faced dicks on here, sadly.

SoonToBeSix · 22/03/2015 15:17

Thanks, have shared.

ChaosTrulyReigns · 22/03/2015 16:13

I signed abd shared this a while back, I thought both the concept and approach (terrible loaded questions) were abysmal.

caroldecker · 22/03/2015 16:46

Looking into more detail - this says there are 90 children being provided transport at a cost of £500,000 per year. That is over £5,000 per child. There must be a cheaper solution you could recommend.

Pagwatch · 22/03/2015 18:30

I don't understand. You are suggesting that the council have been choosing to pay more for transport than is necessary and the parents should find a way to do it more cheaply? Have I misunderstood - I'm quite tired this evening so easily confused Smile

I suspect transport is expensive across the board for children/young people with SN/disability. Transport will include adapted transport, as well as drivers with escorts to ensure the children's safety. The distances travelled to collect children within large geographical areas to get them to educational setting which meet their needs must add a great deal in terms of petrol and staff hours etc. my sons mini bus can transport 12 people but can only accommodate 5 pupils because some of the children need physical space.
It's tricky but I'm pretty sure the council will have negotiated the most cost efficient contracts.

KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 22/03/2015 19:25

That's a very interesting document as it states that it is a) neutral against most strategic objectives of the council, and b) says that they believe any equality impacts can be negated, which I do not believe to be true.

So, in their words, this is a straight cost saving excersise. They want to save that money, so as its not a statutory obligation, they're going to axe the service. Their argument being that these children should use whatever disability benefits they have to get to and from school.

Except that if you're not able to travel independently due to your disability, or you do not have the adapted transport you would require, you're fucked. Add into the mix that the government is reducing disability benefits for people 16+, including the complete removal of lower rate mobility, then you have yet another bar to kids aged 16-18 with SEN to access education, when the school leaving age is now 18.

The consultation is not really a consultation, it's a box ticking process excersise so they can cite one having taken place.

KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 22/03/2015 19:28

BOF, having read that document, I think you have a way to challenge them through disability discrimination as I'm not sure they've properly assessed this.

Original poster
BitOfFun · 22/03/2015 19:28

Absolutely. It's disgusting and immoral.

OP posts:
springback · 22/03/2015 21:37

Have signed, though I'm not local. I'm in touch with my local parent carer forum who have been disputing changes to our SN transport policy too. Ipsea have some useful information and Steve Broach is a barrister with a blog which is a good source of information as well.

My DS has SN severe enough that he needs his own taxi and escort to get to school - there is no way he could be independent enough to take public transport even though we live in London. It costs a lot more than £5k and I guess that is why it will be difficult for the council to just find a cheaper solution - there will be high needs individuals which push the total cost up and who don't have any other choice (his school is the only one which can meet his needs, it is far out of county so he couldn't share transport with another child).

caroldecker · 22/03/2015 23:33

But is £5,000 per pupil the best use of council money. What is the training for if the children are unable to travel indepentently on public transport?

RJnomore · 22/03/2015 23:38

E training is to say they met the children's needs. Even though they didn't.

5k to keep them at home is nothing.

Bloody disgrace. I can't seem to sign though tried quite a lot now.

BetweenTwoLungs · 23/03/2015 00:04

I'm Sefton, signed and shared.

KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 23/03/2015 00:28

Really carol?

Are you saying that 5k to enable a disabled child to access education is unreasonable as I don't.

Kids with autism, learning difficulties, SLD, complex needs, physical disabilities etc can't always get public transport even with training and even if public transport actually goes to where they want to go.

Pagwatch · 23/03/2015 06:18

Woah -
5k to get a child an education 'not the best use of council money'?

Really? I mean, really

Do you have any idea how much money is saved by providing children with disabilities/special needs every possible skill they can lay their hands on?

Education is the key to accessing independence.
Whilst independence is crucial for its own sake it is the method by which the care costs of people with profound difficulties is reduced for the rest of their lives.

For my son reading, math , life skills, coping with his peers and the community will be the difference between him potentially needing full time residential support for the next sixty years, and maybe living in shared accommodation and having some kind of employment.

OneInEight · 23/03/2015 07:13

Have signed even though we are not in your LEA. Our transport division nearly destroyed ds2's placement in September by their cost-cutting measures. I do know resources are not infinite but there is no point the council paying very expensive school fees if the child is unable to get there. And yes, we hope that teaching my son appropriate skills now will mean he is able to live independently and support himself as an adult.

Pagwatch · 23/03/2015 07:30

It's an impressive circle of hell.

Provision is reduced, including special schools for children like my son, so children have to travel further and further to get an adequate education.
So now the transport costs are the problem Hmm

No one gave a shit about the issue with transport when my six year old and terrified son had to sit on a minibus for 2 hours a day to get to school. But now they want to cut the cost, it's suddenly a problem

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 23/03/2015 09:03

I've signed and shared.