Dorset Council (19 013 829)

Statement Upheld School transport 01-Jul-2020

Summary: Ms X complains the Council did not provide a passenger assistant to accompany her daughter to school for a three week period and then delayed arranging a permanent passenger assistant. There was fault by the Council because it did not ensure a passenger assistant was in place for Ms X’s daughter even though it was required to do so. The Council agreed a financial remedy for Ms X’s daughter to reflect the loss of education she suffered in consequence of the fault.

Lancashire County Council (19 011 102)

Statement Upheld School transport 30-Jun-2020

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to properly consider his appeal for home to school transport for his secondary school aged child. There was fault in the process followed but this did not cause an injustice. The Council should review its communication with appellants to prevent a recurrence of the fault.

Gloucestershire County Council (19 010 687)

Statement Not upheld School transport 29-Jun-2020

Summary: There is no evidence of fault in the way the Council’s transport appeal panel decided an application for discretionary transport support.

Warrington Council (19 010 932)

Statement Upheld School transport 26-Jun-2020

Summary: the complainant says the Council did not properly consider her application for school transport for her daughter who has special educational needs and an EHC Plan. The Council says it considered the circumstances and following an appeal allowed the complainant to buy a spare seat on existing school transport. The appeal procedure did not give the complainant an opportunity to present the appeal in person and applies a test of ‘exceptional circumstances’ which does not reflect the legal test. The Ombudsman finds fault in the appeal procedure.

Northamptonshire County Council (19 014 990)

Statement Upheld School transport 24-Jun-2020

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s decision not to award his daughter home to school transport. The Ombudsman finds the Council was at fault in how it considered the information at the appeal panel. The Council has agreed to hold a further appeal to remedy any injustice caused.

Suffolk County Council (19 008 661)

Statement Not upheld School transport 24-Jun-2020

Summary: Mrs B complains that the Council was wrong to refuse transport for her son, C, to the special education school that he attends. The Ombudsman cannot question the Council’s decision to refuse transport because we have found no fault in the way that decision was reached.

Essex County Council (19 007 881)

Statement Upheld School transport 23-Jun-2020

Summary: Mrs C complains that the Council was wrong to refuse her daughter D, transport to the secondary school at which she was offered a place for September 2019. The Council gave some misleading reasons for refusing transport. That was fault, and the Council has agreed to provide further training for officers. However, the decision to refuse transport is in line with the Council’s policy and so it is not for the Ombudsman to question the merits of that decision.

Essex County Council (19 013 464)

Statement Upheld School transport 22-Jun-2020

Summary: Miss B complains about the Council’s decision not to provide her daughter, C, with school transport. Miss B says she had to take C out of school because she could not afford to pay for her to get to school. Following the Ombudsman’s enquiries, the Council recognised it had made errors and proposed to take action to remedy any injustice caused to Miss B and her daughter. The Council completed these actions during the investigation. The Ombudsman is satisfied these actions remedied any injustice caused.

London Borough of Bexley (19 009 231)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 19-Jun-2020

Summary: Mr P complains about school transport for his son, R. I have decided not to investigate this complaint because Mr P has complained well over a year after he became aware of the matter and he could have raised it as part of earlier complaints. Mr P is pursuing a Tribunal appeal which could provide the school transport he seeks. Regarding his complaint about the way the Council handled the transport appeal, the Ombudsmen would not be able to achieve the outcomes Mr P seeks. It is also unlikely an Ombudsmen’s investigation would add to the response he has already received from the Trust.

Leeds City Council (19 021 089)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 18-Jun-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about how the Council has considered her application and appeal for transport to school for her son. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council and so we cannot question the merits of its decisions.