Bromley (Parliament Politics Magazine) – After an unfair suspension of school transport for the child with special educational needs (SEN), an apology has been sought from the Bromley Council.
A report released recently by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman identified the flaw.’
The mother, who is referred to as Ms. X, is distressed.
What was the reason for the suspension of SEN student’s school transport?
The report stated that the parent of a child who had special educational needs was eligible for travel assistance in cabs shared by their parents when the child’s secondary school started in September of 2023, as per her statement.
The study confirmed that in August 2023, Bromley Council wrote to the mother, confirming the travel plans and informing her of the standards of the behavior of the kid, identified as Y in the report.
The report says that the authority would first gather all of the relevant parties to discuss any occurrence before taking any action.
According to the ombudsman, Y was involved in a dispute with another student when they were both travelling to school in the month of November, 2023.
How was the mother informed about her child’s suspension?
On the same day, the transport provider reported the incident to the Bromley council. The officials then emailed it to the mother to let her know that her child had been suspended from school transport for two days due to the dispute between the two children.
Ms. X objected to the Bromley council, saying that it had not followed its procedures and had not consulted her before suspending her child, and that child’s transport was inappropriate and that the authority had not met her child’s needs.
Bromley Council reacted by saying that it had acted in accordance with its own SEN transport guidelines and those established by the Department for Education, and that the taxi was appropriate for Y’s needs, which prompted Ms. X to file an inquiry with the Ombudsman.
How did the Bromley council respond to the mother’s complaint?
The council acknowledged its failure to issue a written warning prior to suspending the child.
The report said: “[The council] also accepts it failed to follow its own policy and should not have suspended Y. This was a fault. As a result, Ms X suffered frustration and had to take Y to school herself.”
The ombudsman reviewed the mother’s claim regarding the inadequate quality of transport but found no evidence indicating that the taxi service was not good enough.
The authority was directed to apologise to Ms. X for the distress caused by its shortcomings. Additionally, the council was instructed to compensate the mother £66 for the two daily return journeys made while her child was suspended from the school’s transport.
The ombudsman additionally asked the authority to furnish proof that training had been provided to the council’s SEN transport team following the incident.
A Bromley Council spokesperson informed the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “SEN school transport methods can include car-pooling arrangements where taxis are shared between pupils taking them to and from school. When behavioural offences occur these arrangements can sometimes become temporarily untenable and result in suspensions for the safety and wellbeing of all those travelling.”
They further added: “Bromley Council cooperated fully with the ombudsman’s investigation and agreed with the recommendations which have been fully implemented. The council is committed to working with families of children eligible for travel assistance and to provide this through safe and suitable arrangements, to ensure they can fully participate in their education.”
What challenges do SEN families face with Bromley school transport?
It is reported that around 3% of the school aged children require special support in education at Bromley, making it up to 3,000 children. A study also shows that about 600 children with special educational needs rely on the local authorities who provide the school transport system.
However, in the year 2023, a lot of parents reported and complained about the unfair suspension of special educational needs (SEN) children. The complaints involve the delay in transport, mismanagement, and inadequate communication by the official authorities of the Bromley council.
Following these series of complaints, Bromley council was also fined £5800 for delaying a girls’ transport services in November, 2024. This case highlighted the issues and problems faced by the special educational needs of children and their parents.
A survey indicated that only 62% of the parents are satisfied with the transport and other support services provided by the Bromley council.