taxi to college

[Feather]

Hi everyone, not posted for a while. Just need some advice. My autistic son is 17 and at college, and has a taxi provided for him by the SEN department, and he also had one when he was at school. I have been told that for two evenings when my son finishes college at 4 o'clock, he will have to wait around for an hour for another student, that doesn't finish till 5. I have asked why he isn't having his own taxi, and they say it is to do with funding. Their argument is that college should provide him with somewhere to go for the hour. The college do not do this, and they wouldn't ask a school to do it would they? He is not doing an academic course, it is a pratical hands on one specifically for people with learning dificulties. He needs to come home as soon as college finishes. The college is out in the countryside, and my son is more than capable of trying to walk home if he has had a bad day!! They have also said that he could be doing work on the computer while he waits, but I have already explained to them there is no written work for him to do. Has anyone else had this happen, and know how to appeal to the SEN department? As someone quite rightly pointed out, if he is given a taxi contract with his name on it, why are they trying to make him travel with somone else?

[oxgirl]

Hi Feather,

 

I think it's perfectly reasonable that your lad should share a taxi, but I don't think it's very good that he has to wait around an hour for the other lad to finish, that seems unreasonable to me. I know my lad would hate that and would complain bitterly about it.

 

He is also 17 and shares a taxi to college with two other lads. There is a new lad in the taxi this year and he lives about 15 miles in the opposite direction from us, and we are about 12 miles from the college ourselves. On the days that he and my lad are in the taxi together, the driver picks the other one up first and then my lad and then off to college and on the way home he goes all the way to the other lad's house first to drop him off, before doubling back towards the college again to drop my lad off! The first day back a few weeks ago, due to an accident and terrible traffic, the journey took 2 hours 20 mins! The last few times, it's been about an hour and ten minutes, whereas if the driver came straight home from college it would only take about 25 mins. It seems crazy really, but I guess he feels the other lad has to be picked up very early so deserves to be taken straight home and I can see his point. My lad is getting used to it, but he's not very happy.

 

~ Mel ~

[Kathryn]

Hi Feather,

 

In this age of budget cuts , LA's are going to be looking for ways to make savings and transport to schools and colleges has been one of the casualties.

 

I agree that it's reasonable to expect students to share taxis where the journeys are the same: there is no automatic right to a particular kind of transport. However, it should be appropriate transport, and if you have evidence to show that this is difficult for your son, you should appeal to the LA about this decision. It's an internal process so ask the LA for details on how to lodge a transport appeal. Also get hold of their post 16 transport policy to see if they are following it. If they are not following their own procedures properly you may have a case for an Ombudsman investigation or Judicial Review. You may have a strong case if you can show that they are not taking his needs into account.

 

We have been in a similar situation. Via Judicial Review I challenged my LA's decision to suddenly withdraw college transport from my daughter. Our case was that they had not followed their own policy in not conducting an assessment of her individual transport needs but had instead applied a blanket policy of witholding transport from particular groups of students. We were successful and did not have to take it all the way to court. I'll dig up the threads where I described what happened, if you're interested.

 

Whatever you do, start by getting evidence to show that your son gets stressed whilst waiting around. This could be your own diary of observations and from the college tutors, Connexions worker, or anyone else involved with your son. Many young people might be expected to be able to wait for an hour: you need to show why your son is unable to cope with this.

 

K x

[Feather]

Hi Kathryn, thanks for you reply. I have told the SEN office that he struggles to wait around for an hour, and they still gave me the same answer. Any information that you have will be very useful for appealing. I will start off with what you have said, and see what happens. They don't seem to read back through the information of why they were given a taxi in the first place, which was when he was at secondary school. His ASD is not going to get better overnight, or go away. I can't believe the other post, where the son has to travel for so long just to go to college. Feather xx

[Kathryn]

Hi Feather

 

Here are the threads in which I described our experience. It was a while ago. Sorry, they're a bit rant-y, especially the first one. I'm much calmer nowadays!! Actually I stayed calm in my actual dealings with the LA, it was just good to let off steam sometimes!

 

http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/Index.php?/topic/13989-unscrupulous-lying-cheating-devious-lea/page__hl__%2Bcollege+%2Btransport+%2Bpolicy

 

http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/Index.php?/topic/15250-k-vs-lea-the-rematch-begins/page__p__182292__hl__%2Brematch+%2Bbegins__fromsearch__1#entry182292

 

 

Not quite the same situation as your son is already getting transport, but hope you find it useful. I think it's becoming harder to challenge transport decisions so even if you do succeed in getting the LA to look at his needs again, you'll have to have strong (preferably independent) evidence that due to his disability he cannot wait for an hour and/or that he cannot share a taxi.

 

K x

Edited October 3, 2011 by Kathryn