John Merry, Salford Council's Executive Lead Member for Children's Services, and Sue Woodgate, the Council's Assistant Director SEN, Access and Inclusion, met with parents of children with difficulties today to head off what was turning into a major confrontation.
The parents were furious when they saw a cut of £120,000 in this year's budget – a `step up saving' passed last year as a "review of travel arrangements ...to reduce the need for the Council to provide transport"... (see previous Salford Star article - click here)
After the parents and the SEARCH Salford Community Committee called for John Merry to explain the cut, he met with them today at the Eccles Gateway and reassured them that the money had been saved within the tendering process for the transport companies...
"There are no new cuts and no changes to what is provided to you" he promised "There are no proposals to change people's arrangements."
He added that, with demand growing for SEN transport, ten new escorts were being recruited and that the Council had actually spent more this year than the previous year on transport, with a £240,000 overspend... "There are pressures on the budget but there's no intention of clawing back the money at this moment in time" he said "We are trying to get more cost effective routes in place."
Parents were also anxious when they saw notes to the cuts stating that independent travel would be encouraged for young SEN people. Councillor Merry reassured them that this wasn't referring to their children, unless it was with their consent, while Sue Woodgate added that, of 1,200 children with statements in Salford, just over 50% were in mainstream schools and that some "may prefer to have a bus pass" rather than use the special transport once they were hitting adulthood... "In many cases this won't be appropriate" John Merry added.
He also tried to assuage fears that cuts to transport companies' contracts won't mean a less quality service, with spot checks in place to ensure it... "If there are concerns from parents we act immediately" said Sue Woodgate "We deal with it."
Parents agreed to meet again with John Merry in seven months time to review the SEN transport. In the meantime, their sights are set on £290,000 cuts to young people's support packages from the Children with Disabilities Service and the Short Breaks budget which leaves many without after school and holiday clubs (see here)...
"What is left for disabled kids?" asked one parent "It's always the disabled..."
"We need to do as much as possible" John Merry responded, citing a letter from Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell to Labour councils "making it clear not to set an illegal budget"...
"It's not a happy situation to be in" he concluded...
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