A council has saved more than £55,000 by using its own fleet for specialist school transport amid growing service pressures and spiralling costs, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.
Officers at Durham County Council have praised the money-saving decision as the authority diversifies its existing arrangements.
Durham County Council provides daily transport to 9,000 passengers with Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) and other special provisions. It expects to spend up to £8.895 million on the provision over the next four years.
Local authorities are required to arrange funded transport for children who live a certain distance from school but cannot walk because of SEND, mobility problems or safety reasons.
The specialist transport is described as playing a crucial role in getting children to school but councils around the country are having to make cutbacks after becoming one of the largest spending pressures on local authority budgets.
A recent trial of three home-to-school transport routes using the council’s in-house fleet achieved daily savings of £292.01, totalling £55,481.90 over a 190-day school year
County Hall officials warned that rising demand and costs have been interwoven with the rapid growth in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The increased number of cases means more expensive options such as taxis and passenger assistants are being utilised, dramatically increasing overall costs.
County and rural councils, including Durham, transport double the amount of SEND pupils on average compared to the rest of the country. The council’s current arrangement is delivered by 1,200 contracts, utilising more than 300 different suppliers.
Jim Murray, the council’s head of education and skills, said: “One of the issues we have, as well as the increased costs, is we have an increase in the distance children are travelling across the county to access specialist provision. We are currently looking at five different projects to increase the number of specialist places on offer.
“Locality and travelling as low a distance as possible is a priority of ours, as well as addressing specific and changing needs of children with SEND.”
The council offers a range of travel assistance options, including:
- Bus Pass – either for a dedicated school bus or a contract ticket for a public service bus.
- Home-to-School Transport – via minibus or taxi, either from home or a nearby collection point.
- Personal Travel Budget (PTB): financial contribution to help families arrange their own transport.
Durham County Council said it has introduced its Local Change Programme “to strengthen commissioning of home-to-school transport by deepening understanding of existing policies, procedures, and operational arrangements.”
The programme aims to ensure the authority provides cost-effective, value-for-money transport solutions that support positive outcomes for children and families.
It has also been set up to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability by reviewing and optimising existing policies, procedures, and commissioning arrangements, including understanding why costs and demand are increasing to ensure value for money and positive outcomes for children and families.
Bill Edgar
Reporter for the Local Democracy Reporter Service.
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
Needs sorting. Some kids getting to school in taxis. They should be teaching these kids life skills. Catching public transport. Save a fortune 🔮
Educate yourself . These children have Sen needs and in special schools – and are often in schools an hour away from where they live ! It would also be unsafe for them to be using public transport by themselves as they are often the most vulnerable children