| SPOTLIGHT |
Northumberland County Council has agreed to look again at families’ applications for school transport for teenagers with special educational needs, following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman investigated and concluded that the council’s school transport policy was ‘not clear enough to allow parents to make the right choices’ and has suggested the need for greater clarity.
The woman behind the complaint was the mother of a teenage boy, who has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. She complained that the council declined to provide free school transport when he moved to college.
Northumberland said there was another college closer to home for the son, and because the course he was set to study was not of the right standard, he did not meet its criteria for transport.
The council’s policy recommended applicants check their eligibility before applying for a course and transport, but the Ombudsman’s investigation found the policy’s wording made it difficult for families to do that.
The report noted that the council did not explain to the mother about its transport policy and how the family’s college choice would affect whether transport would be provided and criticised the council for the way it handled the mother’s appeal.
The council agreed there were too many delays and its communication was not of an acceptable standard.
Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: “In this case I have found the council’s policy on transport for teenagers with EHC Plans was not clear enough to allow parents to make the right choices, so I have asked it to look again at its policy to make it fairer.
“I’m pleased the council has agreed to my recommendations, which should ensure there is greater clarity for parents of teenagers with EHC Plans before they make important decisions about their future education options.”
In this case, the council has agreed to apologise to the mother and pay her £200 for the time and trouble in dealing with the complaint. It will also pay her a further £100 for not updating her properly during the application and appeals process.
The council will reassess the teenager’s transport application and properly explain the reasons for its decision. This will allow the mother to appeal if the application is refused. If it decides to provide transport, the council should reimburse the mother for her costs so far.
A spokesperson for Northumberland County Council, said: “We strive to provide the highest standards of customer service to all our residents. We are disappointed to have fallen short on this occasion and apologise for the inconvenience caused.
“Since this complaint was made in 2020, we have carried out a review of our wider school and college transport service and an action plan is in place to address the recommendations of the Ombudsman’s report.”
Lottie Winson
