Essex County Council (21 000 281)
Statement Upheld School transport 07-Sep-2021
Summary: Mrs X complained the Council wrongly refused to provide free school transport for her daughter, D, from September 2020. The Council accepted it did not direct Mrs X to its policy so she was not aware she could make verbal representations during her appeal. The Council agreed to accept a fresh appeal from Mrs X and give her the opportunity to make verbal representations. The Council also agreed to amend the wording in its policy that requires appeals to always be made in writing.
Lancashire County Council (20 008 430)
Statement Upheld School transport 25-Aug-2021
Summary: Mr X complained about the Council's decision not to award home to school travel assistance for his child. He said the Council's decision is unfair and caused him unnecessary stress and anxiety. We found fault in the Council's actions. The Council has agreed to consider a new appeal for Mr X and to review its school transport policy.
Shropshire Council (20 006 583)
Statement Not upheld School transport 23-Aug-2021
Summary: Mr B complains that the Council was wrong to refuse his two children free school transport to their secondary school. We found no fault in the way the Council considered the decision to refuse transport and Mr B's subsequent appeal. We cannot therefore question the merits of the Council's decision.
Kent County Council (21 004 769)
Statement Upheld School transport 23-Aug-2021
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council's decision not to provide Mrs X's daughter with free transport to school. This is because the Council has now agreed to Mrs X's request and an investigation could not achieve anything more.
Norfolk County Council (20 003 718)
Statement Upheld School transport 12-Aug-2021
Summary: Mrs B complains that the Council should not have refused her daughter, C, transport to her preferred school, because it was the nearest suitable school given her medical condition. The Ombudsman has found no fault in the way the Council decided to refuse Mrs B's request for transport and her subsequent appeals. However, the Council failed to set out the reasons for its decisions clearly and in detail following the second stage appeal. It has agreed to remind officers of the need to provide full and clear reasons for its decisions.
North Somerset Council (20 008 319)
Statement Upheld School transport 04-Aug-2021
Summary: There was fault by the Council in the way it considered an application for school transport made on SEN / mobility grounds. There was also delay in responding to the complaints / appeal so transport was not in place in time for the start of the school year. The Council will apologise, backdate transport payments and pay £100 for the complainant's time and trouble.
East Sussex County Council (20 002 412)
Statement Upheld School transport 03-Aug-2021
Summary: the complainant complained the Council failed to properly consider the college named in her son's EHC Plan as the closest suitable college when deciding an application for transport support. The Council accepted it should have considered the college in the EHC Plan as closest and considered a fresh application for transport support. We found the Council at fault in making its first decision. In offering an apology, considering a fresh appeal, and providing details on low-income mileage allowance scheme we found the Council offered a proportionate remedy.
Leicestershire County Council (20 008 672)
Statement Not upheld School transport 02-Aug-2021
Summary: Mrs B complains on behalf of Mr and Mrs X that the Council incorrectly measured the distance to their daughter's school which led to the Council refusing their daughter's free school transport application. They also complain about the Council's refusal to refund all the school transport costs incurred because of its error. There was no evidence of fault in the way the Council made its decisions.
Luton Borough Council (20 009 310)
Statement Upheld School transport 23-Jul-2021
Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to reimburse him for the full cost of transporting his child to and from school. The Council was not at fault in the way it decided not to backdate Mr X's increased mileage payments. It was at fault for the delay in responding to his request. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to acknowledge the frustration this caused. The Council was also at fault when it conflated its complaints procedure and school transport appeal process. It has agreed to take action to prevent this fault recurring.
Essex County Council (20 006 689)
Statement Not upheld School transport 08-Jul-2021
Summary: Mrs B complained that the Council had failed to deal correctly with her application for home to school transport for her son. We found no fault by the Council in this matter.