SEND Transport update
25th March 2024
Following a successful consultation with some of our members at activities and events, RMBC have now issued feedback to our members. The transport team would like to thank everyone who contributed to the consultation.
Important information regarding home to school/college transport applications for SEND/Zoom Zero Travel Passes for eligible children and young people – September 2024
Transport Services team would like to notify all parents/carers and educational establishments that the revised Home to School Transport Policy 2024/2025 has been approved by Cabinet and will be published by 1st April 2024.
Educational placements are now being agreed and confirmed for children and young people for September 2024 and the Local Authority would like to invite parents/carers who will need assistance with their child/young person’s transport arrangements to make an application for a travel solution as soon as possible.
As a reminder to parents, carers, educational establishments and other support agencies, there is a requirement of 28 days from receipt of each application for an individual assessment to be made and to offer of a travel solution to be established during none peak times.
Each year, the Local Authority receive a considerably high demand for transport assistance each with a significant increase during the peak time of April – August each year. To allow sufficient time for individual assessments to be undertaken and to ensure that a travel solution can be offered in readiness for the new school year, there is a requirement for a widow of transport application forms to be established. Unfortunately, this means that any transport requests received outside of these windows will not be able to be processed until the new academic year and therefore parents/carers will need to make their own travel arrangements in the meantime.
These deadlines will not affect entitlement to a travel solution for eligible children and young people, and a travel solution will be discussed once the Local Authority have had the opportunity to confirm eligibility. Parents/carers may be entitled to receive a reimbursement towards the cost of any journeys undertaken to travel to/from school/college from the start of the new academic year once eligibility has been confirmed.
Transport applications will be considered in date order up to and including each of the deadlines below and travel solutions will be offered during August 2024 to allow families to be informed of arrangements and where necessary, undertake any required home visits and risk assessments and also provide sufficient time for the child/young person to prepare for any new arrangements.
There may be an opportunity for the Local Authority to consider transport requests for any new placements agreed at SEND Panel until 28th July 2024, but unfortunately these may only be considered if there is an urgency for a travel solution which requires immediate attention.
The transport application windows are all open now. Each application window close date is provided below:
Zoom Zero Travel Passes – 30th June 2024 (as previous years)
SEND assisted transport, compulsory school age (5-16) – Friday 12th July 2024.
None compulsory school age (Further education/school 6th form) 30th June 2024. For children and young people attending college, transport will not be provided for the first week of the new school term and only where a confirmed time table has been received.
To access all the Local Authority home to school transport application forms please visit the Travel Section of Rotherham SENDLocal offer Click here to visit the local offer website
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