School transport system for disabled children ‘broken’, says Halifax MP

Holly Lynch has launched a parliamentary petition calling for action, branding the current system “broken”.

She says tens of thousands of children are being sent out of their areas because of a lack of local provision.

Three out of four councils have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) funding deficits, with the largest being a whopping £103m.

"There is a lack of provision in many areas, meaning children are being sent a long way out of area, and inadequate funding means council’s are faced with spiralling transport costs and are being forced to make cuts,” said the Labour MP.

"It is time that the funding given to local authorities was more reflective of the demands they face for these services.”

Local authorities across the country are being hit by financial pressures, she said.

Rising demand for disabled children’s transport services, the increasing complexity of need, and inflation, means they are left with no option but to cut costs, she added.

In some cases, this is restricting vulnerable children’s access to the education and vital support, she said.

CEO of Unique Ways, which supports Calderdale families of children with disabilities, Shona Walsh, said: “We have witnessed the impact of our parent carer members being faced with unexpected transport costs at a time when many are struggling due to the cost of living crisis.

"With transport costs coming into the mix too, this is a triple whammy that many can’t cope with and may feel they may need to keep their child at home as they can’t afford transport costs to and from school.”

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, Coun Adam Wilkinson, is backing the campaign.

“We have a large underlying deficit in the council’s SEND transport budget at a time when we are dealing with inflationary costs and ever increasing demands on the service,” he said.

“We know this problem is not limited to Calderdale, with many authorities in an even more bleak financial situation.

"A fully inclusive education system requires adequate funding from national government and at the moment SEND children and their families are being let down.”

You can sign the petition HERE