Fight to save SEND school transport funding goes on

Parents of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Leicester have again lobbied councillors in the city over funding for transport to schools and colleges.

Leicester City Council's education scrutiny committee is considering ending the home-to-school transport funding for SEND youngsters, aged 16 or over.

The authority does not have any statutory duty to provide this transport and says it receives no funding from central government to do so.

Rajesh Ramachandran, from Rushey Mead, who has a daughter with autism and learning disabilities, is worried she will not be able to attend further education without continuing council support.

Mr Ramachandran's daughter currently attends a Leicester school but is due to start further education in Loughborough from September.

Her father has a full-time job which takes him round the country and his wife is not well enough to transport her and provide the full-time support she needs at home.

They told the BBC the twice-daily 22-mile trip would be too much for them to take on.

Rajesh says taxi firms have quoted a price of £100 per trip for her to travel while accompanied.

He said: "With three days a week at college, I would be spending £1,200 a week. That's absolutely exorbitant."

He is now worried his daughter may miss out on further education altogether.

Rachel Dixon, from Contact, a charity supporting parents with disabled children, said financial support for home-to-school transport for those aged 16 or over is a growing issue nationally, not just in Leicester.

The council has said it must make changes to this transport support or face having to find £3.5m more next year.

But a final decision on cutting the support has been delayed after parents got backing for a new option, which calls for feedback on a recent consultation to be taken into account and consideration of other means of student support.

Parents have suggested the use of personal assistants to accompany young people on public transport, an approach they say is already undertaken by Leicestershire County Council.

Officers and councillors will meet again at a later date to discuss next steps.

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