Will you qualify?

Travel options for children with an EHCP or a Disability are slightly different to a children without these difficulties.

Timeframes for children without an EHCP or disabilities

If your child is assessed as eligible, they will usually be offered a pass to use on either a contract or a public bus. However, you may also be offered one of the following:

• Rail card (a photo will be required for their ID)
• Cycle allowance
• Cash Grant – this is available to parents where there are no other suitable alternatives. Parents are paid a mileage allowance of 22p per mile for four journeys (home to school to home X2)

We have ten working days to respond to the application, but this may be longer during June – September. A letter will be emailed to you with the outcome of the decision. Please check your junk mail or spam folder.

For children starting secondary school in September, an outcome letter will be sent to you by mid-June to inform you of whether your child is eligible for travel assistance. Please note that this is only applicable to parents who applied for a school place on time and where there are no change in circumstances. In any other case, a response will be issued to you as soon as the team are able to process the application.

For start dates for the following September, a pass will be sent in the post by mid-August. For applications at any point in the year where children have been assessed as eligible, we aim to send the passes out within 10 working days from the child being assessed as eligible, but there may be delays to this. If a new contract needs to be set up, this can delay the process further. The team will require at least 10 working days in which to find a suitable operator.

Timeframes for children with an EHCP or disabilities

You will be offered one of the following if your child qualifies for free travel assistance:

• a bus pass for either a commercial or school bus service
• rail card (a photo will be required for their ID)
• a cycle grant
• a personal travel budget
• independent travel training
• transport from a designated drop off and pick-up point in the form of a taxi or minibus, whichever is most suitable*

*The team will organise children onto shared vehicles, taking into consideration their needs and the mix of the children on the vehicle. An assessment will also be carried out as to whether a passenger assistant is needed.

For children with an EHCP or a Disability, if your child is assessed as eligible, you will then contacted again to inform you of the travel options available.

For September starts, the Transport Commissioning Team aim to have the travel details sent out by mid-July. For applications at any other time of year, the Transport Commissioning Service will require at least five working days to identify a space on an existing contract or at least ten working days if they need to set up a new contract.

Please note: If your child uses a wheelchair, the team will also need to complete a Wheelchair Assessment for health and safety reasons before your child can travel in the vehicle. And children with significant medical needs or challenging behaviours may require a Risk Assessment to ensure both their safety and the safety of all people on the vehicle, which will prolong the timeframes. You may be asked to submit any Health Care plans to help inform the Risk Assessments.

What you can expect from travel assistance

Travel assistance will be provided for the beginning and the end of the school day, during term time. For colleges, this is typically 9am-4pm. This is to and from the school/college the child is on roll at. Travel will only be provided to and from one main address.

In the event that a child lives between parents/carers, one address will have to be nominated as the main address. Alternatively, this is address where the child benefit is received.

When travel assistance isn't provided

• to after school clubs or to facilitate attendance at extra-curricular activities.
• If your child is ill, is excluded or has a medical appointment in the middle of the day, it is parents/carers responsibility to pick-up their child and drop them off at school again, if necessary.
• For shortened days such as during examination timetables, transition days or induction days. 

Passenger assistants

Passenger assistants are not normally provided on vehicles. Drivers and operators are fully checked to make sure they meet all of our requirements, including having a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, (formerly Criminal Records Check (CRB)). When considering whether a passenger assistant is necessary, we will take account of:

• the young person’s medical needs, particularly where rescue medication is required
• where an individual young person’s needs create a clear danger or health and safety risk to themselves and other passengers on the vehicle
• where a passenger assistant is required to help manage the journey and support all passengers on the vehicle

Passenger assistants are not medical professionals and, in an emergency, will call for help from the emergency services, via 999.

We have a Code of Conduct for the drivers and passengers assistants, more information can be found on our travel assistance policies and guidance notes page.