St Helens council apologises over SEND transport issues

The authority said some children had experienced missed, late or changed journeys since the new home-to-school transport arrangements came into effect on November 1.

In a statement published on social media, the council admitted the standard of service families received during the first week was "not acceptable".

It also acknowledged that some families had not been informed about changes in good time, some drivers and vehicles had failed to arrive as expected, and parents and carers had struggled to get through to the council for answers.

The council arranges transport for around 670 children and young people with SEND every school day.

It said the majority of journeys were running as planned, but around 50 children had been affected by problems.

The authority added that most of the cases had now been resolved, with work continuing to address the remaining issues.

Measures being introduced include working with transport providers daily to confirm the correct drivers, escorts and vehicles for each child, checking that providers hold accurate information and ensuring safety checks and child-specific training are in place.

The council said temporary arrangements would also be introduced where permanent transport provisions were not yet ready, while additional staff from across the authority had been brought in to help deal with calls and emails.

It warned that some arrangements could change again over the coming weeks as it works to ensure every child travels safely and in a vehicle that meets their needs.

However, it promised families would be informed in advance of any further changes, including details of who would be collecting their child.

The council said: "We know how important a consistent routine is for children and young people and that the standard of service families received last week was not acceptable.

"For this, we apologise and have put measures in place for immediate improvement."

The disruption follows concerns raised by parents ahead of the introduction of the new transport framework.

In October, the Star reported how Moss Bank mum-of-two Claire Cathcart had called on the council to provide clearer information about changes to transport arrangements for children with additional needs.

Her son Jake, who has learning difficulties and congenital heart issues, attends a specialist school outside the borough.

Claire said at the time that continuity was particularly important for children with SEND and warned that families were being left without sufficient information about who would be transporting their children under the new arrangements.

She praised Jake's previous transport provider, Diamond Travel, but expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding the changes.

She said: "When you have a SEND child, continuity is so important and being able to explain changes ahead of time is crucial so they can be settled."

Claire also questioned whether enough consideration had been given to the impact of the changes on children and their families.

The council had previously said it understood parents' concerns and that its priority was to confirm transport arrangements as quickly as possible and provide families with clear information ahead of the new framework.

Families experiencing problems with transport have been asked to contact the council by emailing schooltransport@sthelens.gov.uk or calling 01744 678361 between 7.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

The authority has asked parents to include their child's name, school and route number, where known, in any correspondence.

It said urgent cases involving children without transport or concerns about safety would be prioritised, meaning there could be some delays in responding to other enquiries.

Families who have paid for transport themselves because council-arranged journeys did not run have been advised to keep receipts and contact the authority to find out how to claim the costs back.

The council said it was also working with schools, parents, carers and transport providers and was preparing a question-and-answer section for its website to explain the changes in more detail.