Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) transport from home to school is becoming a significant challenge for local authorities.

As a result, councils have called on the next government to reform the SEND school transport system, with new data revealing costs have doubled to £800m for local authorities in county areas over the last five years.

Data finds that the average council in England transported 1,300 SEND pupils in 2023/24, up from 911 in 2018/19 which is a 43% increase. The average cost per pupil using SEND transport has also increased 32% from £6,280 to £8,299.

Funding Pressures & Case Management

Councils are having to support more pupils with EHCPs and manage the rising demand for transport. At the same time, changes in how funding is allocated mean that councils must carefully review each case through funding panels before agreeing to support it. This makes it more important than ever to manage each case’s progress so local authorities can keep providing the support that children and families need.

Some authorities with smaller dependencies have been known to operate a 1:1 service which usually include SEND students using individual taxis to and from schools. This is an expensive interim which is further driving up costs.

Investing in Liquidlogic Systems

The Liquidlogic Education Case Management Solution offers the tools to support councils in managing SEND transport.

The Home to School Travel module supports both applications for and the logistics of arranging and delivering transport. In collaboration with the Admissions module, it is possible to identify and automate invitations to apply for transport. With the addition of Geographic Information System (GIS) functionality, it is possible to calculate safe walking and driving distances. Routes are determined using multiple independent (Dijkstra) calculations, from home to school, including the nearest gates. These routes can be viewed on a map to verify their accuracy and define exclusion zones for walking, driving, or both, as well as the overall route and pickups. The module also assists local authorities in automatically calculating safe walking distances to help reduce travel time and fuel costs.

An Online Portal for Parents

The Education Case Management Solution also offers a Parent Portal that covers Early Years, Admissions, Home to School Travel, and Free School Meals. This portal allows parents and carers to easily apply online which also helps to reduce potential administrative burdens for local authorities.

Next Steps

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