Changes to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) School Transport Service

This consultation will ask a range of questions intended to better understand the support for and impacts of a range of issues relating to SEND transport. Some of the issues we discuss in this document are complex and we welcome anyone wishing to engage in this process to contact us via email or by phone if they need clarification.

We want to hear from as many people as possible - there will be lots of ways that people can engage with this consultation and share their views;

• We continue to work alongside Parent and Carers Together Stockport (PACTS) who will be supporting families through this process.
• We will be running online information sessions for families and capturing their feedback as part of the consultation. Young people will also have the opportunity to fill out a more accessible version of the consultation form to ensure their views are captured.

Who is this for

This is for any resident of Stockport, anyone impacted by these proposals, or with a role or interest in SEND School Transport. It may include:

• Residents,
• Pupils,
• Parent/Carers,
• Schools/Colleges,
• Transport providers,
• Other interested parties.

Those young people and families who currently access SEND Home to School Transport and who may be impacted by the proposals in this consultation will be written to directly to inform them of the consultation and request their feedback.

National Context

• The cumulative deficits for SEND services, including transport, are estimated to be around £6 billion nationwide by 2026,
• Costs associated with SEND transport have doubled since 2020 rising from £727m to £1.4b in 2024,
• The Department for Education (DfE) has reported that the cost of providing SEND transport has been increasing due to rising demand and the complexity of needs. The average cost per pupil for SEND transport has increased significantly over the past few years,
• The average council in England is now transporting 1,300 SEND pupils in 2023/24, up from 911 in 2018/19: a 43% increase. The average cost per SEND pupil using transport has also increased 32%: from £6,280 to £8,299,
• Due to the complexity of needs, there is an increasing use of individual taxis for transporting children with SEND. The use of cars and taxis for SEND transport increased by 36% between 2019 and 2023.

Stockport Context

Since 2020:

• The number of service users has almost doubled and spend against SEND transport has increased from £2.6m to a forecast year end position of £8.1m,
• The number of commissioned routes transporting users has increased from 127 to 243 which has led to occupancy of routes increasing. The number of single occupancy routes has increased from 21 to 50 on account of evidenced need for solo transport,
• The number of personal budgets issued has already increased from 40 to 171,
• Proportion of private hire contracts to personal travel budgets (PTBs) has increased. In 2020 there were 127 private hire routes (76%) and 40 PTBs (26%). In 2025 there are 243 routes (59%) and 171 PTBs (41%)
• 154 students successfully signed off as independent travellers
• 16 routes handed back due to not having either an available vehicle, driver or passenger assistant
• 4 school transport providers have ceased trading

The number of children new to the transport service consistently exceeds the number of young people leaving the service. Stockport, alongside many other local authorities continues to see an increase in demand for travel assistance. This increase in student numbers along with external factors such as vehicle manufacturing issues, inflationary pressures such as cost of fuel, cost of living, cost of wages to an employer (real living wage) are creating very difficult operating environments for all private hire contractors. Compounding these issues and further driving up the cost to run the service is that a significant proportion of the private hire workforce has left or is leaving their career.

The result of this has meant that at Greater Manchester level and nationally there is a lack of physical capacity in terms of vehicles and workforce to meet the demands. Local authorities are essentially competing with each other to secure and retain contractors.

The number of service users has doubled in the last 5 years and continues to increase. The spend of the service has more than doubled in the past 2 years. Incidents whereby contactors are handing back contracts due to them not having sufficient vehicles (due to breakdown or cost of replacement) or that drivers resigning/retiring are becoming more frequent.