bevalee Report post Posted September 27, 2005 Hi I applied for mileage allowance from my LEA at the end of the Summer Term. The round trip to my son's school is 260 miles. At 7.59 this evening, the SEN case manager rang me. The LEA will not pay any mileage for last term. They only offer a cab to those who are physically disabled, and a boy with AS can travel across London by train, tube and bus carrying a case, TV, X-Box etc, who can't stand crowds, will get disorientated and is liable to have a melt down! He has never traveled on his own before (only by local bus) he won't be able to cope. They don't think that i am giving a 'True Picture' of the situation and will be ringing the school tomorrow. Sorry to rant, but i am soooo fed-up! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zemanski Report post Posted September 27, 2005 ring the disability rights commission tomorrow ring the NAS, IPSEA and Parent Partnership they are asking you to put your child at risk Zemanski Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kazzen161 Report post Posted September 27, 2005 That is ridiculous. For one thing- why do they not expect a physically handicapped child to use a train too? They are supposedly accessible after all. Karen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted September 27, 2005 Oh Bevalee! Does this come under illegal 'blanket policy'?? Auriel has a taxi to and from the same school, and he's not physically disabled, but like R. he couldn't use public transport!! Bid <'> The Jester has just pointed out that if he gets the mobility part of DLA, surely this carries some weight?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted September 27, 2005 This may well be an illegal balnket policy. You need to ask the LEA for their SEN specific transport policy - they must have one (I have posted links about this somewhere on the forum) - the DfES say so!! Check that they are not in breech of their own policy. If they do not have one then contact the DfES and ask them to supply you (and the LEA) with the relevent documents that the LEA policy should be based on (it is available on-line via the DfES website). Also contact IPSEA et al as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted September 27, 2005 And, as rightly pointed out if he gets DLA with mobility component their hands are tied. Although the LEA could then insisit that his DLA Mobility grant should be used for transport costs. If all he gets is the lower DLA then this ought to be proof enough of his inability to access public transport. The LEA would have to be pedantic to the point of pickiness to make you pay costs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted September 27, 2005 http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/sen/sentransport/ There is a link to download a PDF version of: Home to school travel for pupils requiring special arrangements. This was printed in Nov 2004 and therefore superscedes the document I used. As with the one I used it sets out the LEAs duties and obligations regarding transport for pupils with sen. It is a 'recommended' document as opposed to 'guidance' or 'lawful requirement' but, LEAs would have to have damn good reasons for ignoring it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mossgrove Report post Posted September 27, 2005 I'm shocked by this. I thought until about 2 mins ago that all LEA's had to provide transport for children with SEN who attend a special school. There was a massive outcry in our local press when the council proposed asking for a contribution for transporting children with SEN when they lived closer than 3 miles away from the school and the council retreated very quickly indeed. If you don't have any luck through normal channels, threated to 'Name and shame' the LEA in the local press! Simon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted September 27, 2005 (edited) Download this file. Scroll down to page 4 look at the second bullet point under 'Context'. Providing the school concerned is the one the LEA have selected as being most suited to needs or it is named on a statement and is NOT one of parental preference then they seem to have little choice in paying for costs. If you can then provide evidence that he is unable to make the journey safely on his own (shouldn't be difficult) their only other option might be to pay for a chaperone (sp?). That would probably end up costing them even more! If it is a parental preference school, then I am afraid they have a get out. Whenever a parent goes this route the letter confirming the place always comes with a rider that you accept transport costs (I have never seen an out of catchment acceptence not include this). Hope that helps. Edited September 27, 2005 by phasmid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bevalee Report post Posted September 28, 2005 Hi Thanks for your help. I'm a bit more confused now. Just had another phone call from the SEN manager at the LEA, they really do like to call late! They are contacting the school to find out if it is the best placement for R or maybe another placement would be more benificial!! I don't know what they are playing at, they named the school at the tribunal and he has only been there 1 term. He also wants to know how many pupils get a taxi, how many are picked up by parents and how many travel independantly. Yhey will have it thrashed out by the end of the week. Its been 8 weeks so far ... maybe by Christmas eh! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hev Report post Posted September 28, 2005 hello bev,im sure these people do these things to annoy us,it sounds ridiculous to me,steven has taxi to and from school,i assumed if you had a diagnosis they automatically got transport,let me know how you get on Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted September 28, 2005 This isn't right. I'm sorry but late night phone calls and mucking around with statements and transport. Uh...is it just me that finds this unacceptable? Contact IPSEA, you need somebody to field this for you. I think part of the late night phone calls is to catch you tired and willing to accept whatever they say. No! All communication in writing. Refuse to speak to them (phone calls are not recorded - letters are). In fact I'd be considering getting in touch with the DfES - seriously! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kazzen161 Report post Posted September 28, 2005 >>They are contacting the school to find out if it is the best placement for R or maybe another placement would be more benificial!! I don't know what they are playing at, they named the school at the tribunal and he has only been there 1 term. I don't understand that - unless the placement is on a trial basis, and they want to see if it is going OK. I can't see that they woudl get away with changing the placement if they named the school in the first place, and you and your son are happy with it. >>He also wants to know how many pupils get a taxi, how many are picked up by parents and how many travel independantly. I woudl imagine the school will tell him they are not at liberty to tell him the arrangements made for other children. At T's school, transport is a big bugbear. The school is called termly residential, although T comes home every other weekend. If it was called fortnightly residential, he woudl get a taxi to school. But as it is called termly, I get paid petrol money for 8 journeys per term. Children from our neighbouring County get less than that, but children from other Counties get taxis/ferries/planes! Your County must have a policy on what transport they provide - ask for it. Karen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bevalee Report post Posted September 29, 2005 Hi R isn't on a trial basis. I rang the school today and they are very happy they way he has progressed and they will not be giving any 'negitive', comments to the LEA. He is Termly residential and normally would come home every 3rd weekend but some times it works out at the second weekend because of holidays etc. I found out today that the Tribunal have no authority over funding for taxi's etc The man needs nailing uside down by the 'b*****ks' Ive seen a few planes and helicopter's outside as well! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted September 29, 2005 You need your LEAs version of the DfES SEN specific transport policy. This should be checked against the DfES version and see what the differences are. If they do not have this policy (my LEA didn't when asked for it), ask them why not! Put them on the spot. As for the rest of whats going on: IPSEA!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kazzen161 Report post Posted September 29, 2005 Does anyone else at the school come from your County? You could check what they get paid. My County send us a booklet covering uniform grants/pocket money/travel expenses. However their mileage allowance has not increased in the 4 years I have been claiming it, and the uniform grant forms referred to Family Credit (or whatever it was called before the last two changes) until my friend complained. Now they have added on Child Tax Credit, but taken off Income Support! I thought most businesses reviewed their forms at least once a year. Karen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
