Leeds Council proposes SEND Transport Review

Leeds City Council has proposed cuts to transport support for post-16 pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The unitary authority spends between £4m and £4.5m each year on discretionary transport support, with the number of learners receiving transport support doubling since 2015.

It has launched a public consultation setting out a number of changes to discretionary transport support for post-16 learners with SEND.

Proposed changes include taking into account travel distances to educational institutions, helping students make their own transport arrangements through a transport allowance, requiring a contribution to transport costs and limiting post-16 support to only for students after 19 years.

Cllr Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for children and families, said: “We remain strongly committed to supporting everyone in Leeds with special educational needs and disabilities as much as possible, but the level of transport support we provide is not currently sustainable given the current financial challenges facing the council and the increasing level of demand.’

This article first appeared on localgov.co.uk.