Disability Union hits out as Hampshire County Council's school transport cuts approved

UNPOPULAR plans by the county council to stop collecting and dropping off children – including those with disabilities – from their homes to take them to school have been adopted.

Hampshire County Council has ruled that its home-to-school transport system will now operate using co-ordinated pick-up and drop-off points up to a mile from their homes, with multiple youngsters from various schools sharing a single vehicle, writes David George of the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

This, the county council says, will save £986,000 per year – although it expects to spend more money due to rising fuel costs and driver shortages.

However, the most vulnerable children are likely to be exempt as the changes are rolled out over the next three years.

Of the 12,000 children supported by the home-to-school transport scheme, a quarter have special educational needs and disabilities.

The move has been heavily criticised by the Disability Union, which believes these changes have not been made with the children in mind.

Kirsty Smillie, the charity’s strategic development officer, said: "Young people with autism, OCD, anxiety, or learning disabilities may have an especially hard time adjusting to a new route and new people.

"Some parents are already having to walk with their children for a mile to the allocated bus stop. This can be challenging especially for children with special educational needs.

"Vulnerable children should be a priority but instead are always the first to suffer from mismanagement of funds and this must be addressed."

No information has been given to parents about the start of the new school year in September, she added.

New Forest Mencap, a charity which supports children with learning difficulties, is also opposed to the move.

Chair Michael Snell told the A&T last week that travel across the Forest was already a “significant problem for this group of people”.

“In our view discretionary travel arrangements for people with learning disabilities in the New Forest should at least remain as they are and preferably be increased. It is not appropriate to find savings that adversely affect this vulnerable group of people.”

A public consultation on the changes was held between January and March this year, with 945 responses.

Parents who submitted a response were strongly opposed to the use of drop-off points and shared transport.

At the children and young people select committee meeting in Winchester yesterday (Monday), assistant director Suzanne Smith said the changes will not be implemented unilaterally.

Instead, the county council will look at whether individual children will be "capable" of sharing transport with others, vowing to examine each child on a case-by-case basis.

‘I feel confident the capacity is there,’ she said.

Executive lead member for children’s services, Cllr Roz Chadd, approved the plans at a decision day meeting on Monday.

She said: "I thank everyone for their comments – there was a really good debate at the select committee this morning and I have listened to everyone.

"I want our home-to-school transport to be inclusive, to support children's transition but also to be sustainable, so we can deliver this for all the children who need it.

"Part of that sustainability is trying to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

"The fact that it’s going to be on a case-by-case basis means I am in full support of the recommendations. We will work with parents and schools over the next two to three years so that the children who are able to meet at a collective point can do so, ensuring our service for the future."