Question for a friend whose DS has been 'banned' from school transport

[QueenOfFlamingEverything]

I hope its ok for me to ask this in here on behalf of a good friend who isn't a member but is in desparate need of some advice.

Her DS (12, and ASD/non verbal) is taken to/from SN school every day in a minibus. She made them aware that he has on occasion had meltdowns when travelling and has attempted to damage/get out of the vehicle, and interfere with the driver. He is meant to have an additional harness as he can escape from seatbelts, to have a staff member sat next to him, and never to be seated next to a window. She is fairly certain this provision was written as part of a risk assesment but she is checking that out.

So last week he was brought home, and had been strapped in with just the seatbelt and next to a window with no staff member next to him. He was already stressed (due to a change of routine/location for that afternoon's activity) and during the journey escaped the seatbelt and started to headbutt the windows, breaking one in two places. Luckily he was not hurt, just very upset when he got home.

They are now refusing to transport him any more. My friend has other younger children to get to school, and his SN school is some distance away in the next county, so she is unable to get him there herself.

So... can they do this, despite the fact that the correct provisions put in place to prevent this very occurence had not been followed?

Sorry, no idea. It certainly doesn't sound right. Bumping for you, anyway.

We had a situation last year where ds was removed from the bus one night with the threat that they might not let him back on if his behaviour didn't improve - luckily it was an isolated incident. If you look on the ipsea site there is a link to the government school transport stuff.

Now I'm just a mum - not a legal expert - but this is what we read/interpreted (we're England, wales/scotland may be different).

If a child has a statement and is going to the school the local authority have named on the statement, and due to SN they are an eligible child, the local authority have the legal obligation to provide school transport. School transport does NOT have to be specifically mentioned on the statement.

her's the link for ipsea www.ipsea.org.uk/Apps/Content/html/?fid=48

Thank you both - starfishmummy that is interesting and I will forward it on to her.

Obviously it was a dangerous situation for all concerned but they should never have let it occur in the first place, that's why he is meant to have a harness (friend calls it a Houdini harness but not sure if that's the 'real' name or not) and to have someone sat with him.

He is now at home until this is somehow sorted as its is physically impossible for his mum to be in both places at once in the morning.