Losing SEND transport "unforgivable" says Birmingham mum
Sabiha Aziz says the council's policy changes will leave her son without specialist transport to school
A Birmingham mum has hit out at the council after being told her son will no longer be eligible for the specialist transport he needs to get to school.
Adam Aziz has severe nonverbal autism and epilepsy and uses a bus with two trained staff to get to school safely.
His mum Sabiha Aziz says Adam will no longer be eligible from September because he is turning 19, and his transport will be replaced by a 45p per mile travel allowance which she claims is not nearly enough.
She said: "All these SEND families are going to spend their entire summer in this battle with the local authority over home to school transport and with this constant worry looming over them.
"To have left it to the last minute and caused this stress and anxiety is absolutely unforgiveable. It actually feels distressing and hurtful to even be having to think about these things; this shouldn't even be a conversation that we're having."
Sabiha said she was told the cost of transport - including minibus, guide and driver came to £18,000 per year. After some rough calculations, she believes the 45p per mile allowance will equate to just £1,500 per year.
She said: "It requires two people to transport and those people need to be trained in the specifics of his behaviour from managing his behaviour to administering emergency medication should he have an epileptic seizure so it isn't just a case of sticking him in a taxi."
She said Adam is "very routine-dependent" and his disabilities mean she cannot explain to him why that routine is changing. She said she fears the changes could result in "self-injurious behaviour, and in our home being absolutely trashed."
A spokesperson from Birmingham City Council said:
"All applications for support with travel are assessed against the council’s travel assistance policy which was revised earlier this year in relation to young people of sixth form age.
"Under the revised policy we have maintained a level of support for young people that enables families to flexibly make their own arrangements by using Personal Transport Budgets. The ways these budgets can be used include but are not limited to public transport, costs towards a family vehicle/Motability vehicle, shared transport with family and friends etc.
"We are also continuing to provide additional support to our most vulnerable students and families. All families have the right of appeal against decisions made regarding support with travel."