Anger over special needs transport escort loss (From Chelmsford Weekly News)

Anger over special needs transport escort loss

7:20am Tuesday 21st December 2010 in News

THE father of a child with special needs claims parents have been left in the dark about plans to cut escorts for home to school travel.

Essex County Council has announced the number of escorts who travel with “vulnerable pupils” will be reduced, but has promised that no escorts will be taken away until an assessment has been carried out.

But Russell Kennedy, whose 14-year-old son Oliver attends Thriftwood special school, in Chelmsford, says “it throws up more questions than it answers”.

He says the school, at which he is a governor, and parents have not been consulted on the plans and the first he knew was when he read a newspaper report following the cabinet meeting of the county council last week at which the service was discussed.

Mr Kennedy of Lupin Drive, in Springfield, said: “How will this assessment be carried out and on what criteria? There has been a lack of consideration for parents. Will the county council take responsibility for any problems that occur if escorts are withdrawn?

“The way this has been dealt with has caused a lot of distress to parents of children with special needs. I for one would think very seriously about putting my child in a vehicle where there was no escort.”

Sally Davies, headteacher at Thriftwood, also said she was concerned.

She said: “It was the first we heard about it when the article was brought to our attention. We have not been asked our opinion.

“I would be concerned if eight or nine children coming to the school were travelling with no escort, whether their difficulties were severe or not.

“The escort is the point of contact for many parents. We have an escort on every bus that comes to the school – some travelling from some way away.

“I also wonder if the taxi firms who transport the children have been consulted?”

Mike Mackrory, a county councillor representing Chelmsford, raised the matter at the full council on Tuesday when he was told the withdrawal of escorts for vulnerable children would be subject to assessment.

He said: “My understanding is children with severe learning difficulties and medical conditions would not have their escorts withdrawn.

“The report to cabinet was not clear enough and I can understand parents’ concerns.”

A spokesman for the county council said: “Essex County Council will be reducing the number of escorts on home to school transport for vulnerable pupils in the county.

“This will be done in order to encourage independence. The county council has promised no escorts will be taken away until an assessment is carried out and the pupil is deemed able to travel to school independently.”