What happens when travel assistance has been agreed

Overview

If we agree your child is eligible for travel assistance, we will carry out a risk assessment first and then let you know how it will be provided.

Risk assessments

We will carry out a risk assessment to decide how your child will be taken to school.

As part of the risk assessment, we will get information from you and:

• your child's school
• your child's care plans
• previous transport providers
• other professionals who know your child

It is your responsibility to let us know if there are any changes to your child's circumstances that may affect the risk assessment.

You can email the SEND transport officer with any changes at: SENDtransport@wokingham.gov.uk

Pick-up and drop-off points

Your child may be expected to make their own way within a reasonable distance to an identified pick-up point on the way to their school.

We will speak to people who understand your child's needs to make sure they can cope with making their own way to the pick-up point.

Your child will be dropped off at the same point in the afternoon.

You are expected to take your child to pick-up points and collect them from drop-off points.

Providing personal assistants (PA)

We will provide one or more personal assistants for your child if the risk assessment has determined it to be necessary.

We regularly review the allocation of personal assistants to travel routes or children. They may be removed or changed.

We will let you know if there are any changes as soon as possible.

Details of travel arrangements

When we have made travel arrangements for your child, we will provide you with the:

• type of transport agreed, for example, a bus pass, dedicated school bus, taxi or parent mileage costs
• name and phone number of the transport provider
• name of the PA(if applicable)
• name of contact in the School Transport Team
• details of the route taken, including route number (if it applies)
• pick-up and drop-off arrangements

We will ask you to provide the names of emergency contacts.

We will let you know your child's transport arrangements for the coming academic year before the start of the autumn term.

If there are changes to the normal transport arrangements

It is not always possible to keep the same personal assistant and driver on your child's transport route.

Unless a change has to be made at short notice, we will let you know in advance if there are any changes to your child's normal arrangements.

Personal assistants and drivers are required to wear identification (ID) badges when carrying out their roles. If you're unsure about them, you should always ask to see their ID badges.

If you have any concerns, contact the School Transport Team by email at: CTU.group@wokingham.gov.uk

Get in touch Contact the SEND Transport Team if you have any questions about your child's transport arrangements.

SEND Transport Team Email: SENDtransport@wokingham.gov.uk