Watchdog hits out at cutbacks to school transport
A council watchdog has joined the opposition to budget cuts which would see parents of disabled children have their free school transport withdrawn.
The Special Needs - Informed Parents (SN-IP) organisation - which looks after the educational interests of disabled children in the county - has written to Northamptonshire County Council querying the legality of its policy to make some parents foot half the bill for school transport.
Parents of about 160 disabled children aged 16 and over are faced with finding hundreds of pounds by August 15 in order to keep their son or daughter in education.
SN-IP is challenging the council on whether it is therefore discriminating against disabled children.
Gwyn Botterill, manager of SN-IP, said: "The provision for children with special educational needs is dotted around the county so they don't have a school near them like other children do. By the council making their transport unaffordable they are being treated differently because of their circumstances. We question whether this breaches the Disability and Discrimination Act."
SN-IP is a so-called Parent Partnership Service, which every local education authority is required to have in order to help parents of pupils and students with special educational needs.
SN-IP's worries come after parents. governors and the Autism Concern charity all criticised the transport policy change, with one parent even preparing a legal challenge to the ceasing of her son's full funding.
Mrs Botterill said she has written to the council's director of service about the cuts to the post-16 transport scheme budget, which had been overspending by 460,000 a year, and has also contacted specialist lawyers for advice.
As well as possible discrimination, SN-IP are questioning the personal impact of the cuts on families and the cost of other services needed by children unable to attend school or college.
Mrs Botterill said: "The amount of money the parents need to find in such a short time is not insignificant and the timing - right at the end of term - is unacceptable.
"We are also asking the council whether they have calculated how much support for children who aren't at school cost. We feel that, even if the cuts had to be made, the way it was carried out could have been handled far better."
The council has denied it is discriminating and has said parents have the right to appeal.
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