Bristol City Council considers minibuses for school transport
The authority expects to spend nearly £12 million on taxis to schools this year
Disabled children in Bristol could soon be driven to school by council staff in a bid to cut costs on taxis.
Bristol City Council is considering setting up a fleet of minibuses to drive pupils to schools, as spending on taxis for home-to-school transport is rising rapidly.
New children’s homes within Bristol are also planned to open, to look after disabled children and reduce spending on “hugely expensive” placements miles away from the city.
Meanwhile, potential foster parents could receive grants for home extensions or larger cars to encourage them to adopt.
This year the council expects to spend £11.8 million on home-to-school transport, for about 1,200 passengers, with costs shooting up.
Councillors heard an update about plans to stop spending from skyrocketing at the resources scrutiny commission on Friday, December 15.
Vanessa Wilson, director of children and education transformation, said: “The placement of a child in external supported accommodation is huge.
Some of these children, especially with high complex needs, can cost authorities up to £1 million a year, but we can provide that support in house, by bringing in the right provision and accommodation.
“We need to work with the voluntary sector and social enterprises.
"I’m in discussion with them already to look at alternative delivery with home-to-school travel, and how we can have a hybrid model.
"We may have a small fleet ourselves, which could be used not just for home-to-school travel but also used for other services.”
One reason behind the huge jump in home-to-school transport is the rising number of children with special and educational needs in Bristol, combined with a dire shortage of suitable school places within the city.
This means the “nearest suitable school” could be many miles away from Bristol, with some pupils being driven there and back every day.
This also affects children with more complex needs, who cannot stay with their parents or guardians.
A lack of places in children’s homes within the city means that some are placed in “incredibly expensive” homes far away from Bristol.
However, the council is now planning to open a few new homes within the city, to improve the quality of care and cut costs
Conservative Councillor John Goulandris said: “Placing children outside our local authority is incredibly expensive, hugely expensive.
"We’ve been saying for ages: can we not build some capacity locally?
"How close are we to getting that?”
Ms Wilson replied: “We’re extremely close.
"The better outcomes and quality of care are within Bristol, not placing people out of the area — and some of those placements are further than anyone would ever want to be.
"That’s not what’s right for those children.”