Council plans to stop financial assistance for school transport for disabled nursery and post-16 pupils

Parents of disabled nursery and post-16 children could soon be paying more for school transport in Shropshire Council’s latest cost-saving plan.

The authority is considering a proposal to end financial contributions towards school transport for children it does not have a legal duty to provide it for, in a move it says will save £350,000 a year.

The council acknowledges the cuts will likely have a “high negative impact” on the children affected, and could “be seen as running against the corporate aims of the council with regard to children and young people and their life chances”.

A report to go before the council’s cabinet next week seeks permission to go out to public consultation on the changes, which would also cut transport assistance from mainstream post-16 pupils.

If the new policy is adopted following consultation, it would come into effect in September 2024.

Children currently accessing transport assistance under the existing policy would be unaffected.

An impact assessment appended to the report warns the council could face a judicial review if cabinet agrees to the consultation, “given the likely high negative impact for children and young people coming into these categories whom we would class as vulnerable”.

It also reveals that when the council approached other authorities to get a picture of what is provided elsewhere, it was “unable to find a local authority that has completely withdrawn discretionary funding for SEND post-16 [pupils]”.

The report says this year the council is providing financial assistance to transport six SEND nursery children, 104 SEND post-16 students and 56 mainstream post-16 students, at a total cost of £647,000.

Parents or carers have to contribute either £933 or £299 a year, based on their circumstances.

Cabinet will consider the report at a meeting next Wednesday. If it agrees, an eight-week consultation will begin in September.

Councillor Kirstie Hurst-Knight, portfolio holder for children and education, said: “We’re committed to providing efficient, integrated transport services whilst ensuring that our statutory duties continue to be met.

“However, the current significant financial pressures mean that the council must review those transport functions which are discretionary in nature.

“Nobody wants or likes to change or withdraw services or funding, but – as is well known – across the council we are having to make savings in the face of severe budget pressures.

“The council’s passenger transport team have already introduced a number of innovative transport solutions to reduce the pressure on the home-to-school transport budget and, whilst these have been and continue to be successful, to realise a significant budget reduction a policy change must be considered.”