I am a parent of a SEN family, and like many others in our community, we're facing a significant financial hurdle due to the current transport policy. We will be required to pay nearly £6,000 by the time both our children finish their post 16 studies, just to transport our two children to their place of education. This is an extraordinary burden, especially since it is compulsory to send our children to school, post 16 until age 18 otherwise we risk penalties or losing their Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP).The existing transport policy fails to align with the new compulsory age bracket for SEN children, and it places an unjust financial barrier on parents like us who are not eligible for low-income discounts. This policy leaves families like ours in a difficult position, where we are forced to choose between financial strain and ensuring our children receive their right to education.SEN families' financial circumstances typically do not change until children are 18 or 19, at which point they might receive their own benefits, such as universal credits or the opportunity to work. However, until that age, parents are expected to cover exorbitant transport fees, which should not be the case. I am being forced to pay the fee because I can’t take my Son to his college as I need to be present to put my other SEN son on transport which conflicts with times between the two placements.Under Section 508F of the Education Act 1996, local authorities face a renewed statutory duty to provide free transport to young adults aged 19 to 25 with special educational needs (SEN) or an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan if the provision is deemed necessary to access further education. This creates an illogical "post-16 loophole" where families are forced to pay heavy, discretionary transport contributions between the ages of 16 and 19, only for full, non-chargeable funding to legally resume once the student turns 19. Penalisng disabled teenagers during these critical bridge years causes profound financial hardship, forces parents out of work, and disrupts educational continuity right when consistency matters most. Access to further education must be treated as a continuous right based on a student's actual physical or medical needs, rather than an arbitrary age bracket that temporarily strips away essential travel support.We are calling on our local government to overhaul the current transport policy to better reflect the financial realities of SEN families. Specifically, we urge decision-makers to eliminate transport fees for SEN families until children reach the age of 19. By doing so, we can relieve countless families from undue financial stress and support an inclusive education system that truly caters to the needs of every child.

I wanted to give you a critical update on what happened at County Hall during Thursday's Scrutiny Committee meeting. I watched the livestream, and like so many families, I am absolutely disgusted.
The Cabinet Member for SEND and his team spent just 3 minutes glancing over our Post-16 transport crisis [ECC Cabinet SEND Direction]. They casually brushed it off on camera, claiming that charging us a massive £900 upfront feeis perfectly fine because the service is "discretionary since 2014 and remains unchanged" [ECC Cabinet SEND Direction].
A 12-year-old outdated policy is NOT an excuse to fail our kids!
By admitting on camera that this policy has remained unchanged since 2014, the council has exposed a massive failure. Running a rigid framework for over a decade without a comprehensive review or an updated Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) feels like a serious breach of their Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010.
Furthermore, they flatly reject any flexibility or pro-rata adjustments if a child can only manage part-time hours or half-days due to their complex needs—it’s the full £900 regardless.
But he couldn't hide from our campaign.
While they tried to sweep us under the carpet on camera, our supporting county councillor bypassed their rigid committee rules and physically handed our raw parent evidence packs directly to the Cabinet Member’s team inside County Hall.
We are not backing down. This morning, I officially escalated our campaign to a national level. I have sent our evidence files and our 717 signatures directly to Pam Cox MP’s office and the lead political reporter at the BBC, exposing the council's total failure of duty of care and the operational chaos parents are experiencing (including missing Passenger Assistants and 80-minute journey times).
We are demanding an immediate fee freeze and a face-to-face meeting with the Cabinet Member. If he refuses, we are taking this straight to a public showdown at the next Full Council meeting.
Please keep sharing this petition. Let’s push past 750 signatures this weekend and show them that 3 minutes of bureaucratic excuses will not silence us!Please sign this petition to champion a change that will impact the lives of numerous SEN families who just want what's best for their children without carrying an unnecessary financial burden. Together, we can make a stand for fair and equitable policies that no longer penalize families for circumstances beyond their control. Let's ensure that every child has unhindered access to education, regardless of their transportation needs.