Appendix C - Children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) 2025 to 2026

Eligibility

If your child has an EHCP there is no guarantee that they will receive free home to school transport assistance provided by Lancashire County Council. All children are assessed in accordance with transport eligibility criteria as described in the Home to School Transport Policy. If you wish to receive transport assistance for your child you will need to submit a completed application form and until this has been submitted and approved it is your responsibility to ensure your child attends school. An application can take up to 6 weeks to assess.

If your child has an EHCP, their nearest suitable school will usually be named in their EHCP. If you are requesting transport assistance to a school that is not the nearest appropriate school it is unlikely that your child will be eligible for free home to school travel unless it can be demonstrated that any associated or additional costs would represent an efficient use of Lancashire County Council's resources or are negligible.

Transport assistance will be considered as part of any new education, health and care needs assessment. In making a judgement about the most appropriate transport and support the council will consider:

  • age and maturity of the child or young person
  • ability and aptitude of the child or young person
  • any special educational needs or disabilities
  • the length of the journey
  • whether the child or young person is physically able to walk the distance from home to school and/or an agreed pick up and drop off point.
  • whether the child or young person needs to be accompanied and whether it is possible for the child or young person to be accompanied.
  • the type of vehicle the child is travelling on if transport is agreed

How will transport support be provided?

There are a range of different transport options, which may not be door to door transport. These include:

  • a bus pass for use on public transport
  • travel training to enable an older child to walk or take public transport on their own
  • a place on a dedicated school bus
  • a shared taxi or minibus
  • an individual taxi.

If your child is travelling on a dedicated school bus or a shared taxi group pick up points may be used. It may also be possible to provide you with a mileage allowance or personal transport budget (Travel Assistance Grant) or a walking escort.

Independent travel training will be provided free of charge if this is appropriate in supporting your child's development independence. The offer of independent travel training will be based on the needs of your child and their travel requirements.

Travel assistance grant

If your child is entitled to receive home to school transport and you wish to take your child to and from school, you may request a Travel Assistance Grant from the Integrated Transport Service. In this situation, you would be responsible for making the arrangements rather than Lancashire County Council. The grant will be entirely at the discretion of Lancashire County Council and will only be provided where it supports the efficient use of resources. It is unlikely to be available where existing suitable transport is in operation locally.

The Travel Assistance Grant is designed to help you make any arrangements needed and can be used to facilitate your child's access to education. The grant is paid over eleven months directly into your bank account and is based upon the one-way distance from your home to school on the shortest appropriate route between your home and the school. The distance will be determined by the Integrated Transport Service with the only exception being where the journey is over twenty-five miles.

The Travel Assistant Grants are grouped into bands according to the distance between your home and the school; these are as shown below:

Band 1 – Up to 5 miles
Band 2 – Over 5 miles up to 10 miles
Band 3 – Over 10 up to 15 miles
Band 4 – Over 15 up to 20
Band 5 – Over 20 up to 25
Band 6 – Over 25 miles - Journeys will be paid on a home to school mileage basis, based on a standard return trip.

The bands cover the basic cost of transport a child to and from school. Parking subsistence, and other costs are not provided. Where a grant is offered partway through the school year, or where attendance at school is on a part-time timetable, the total payment provided will be on a pro rata basis. The terms and conditions of the grant will be fully detailed in the Transport Assistance Grant agreement letter.

If you wish to stop receiving a grant, a reapplication for transport is required due to the change in circumstances and this can take up to six weeks to be approved and implemented.

There will be no reduction in the grant for occasional non-attendance at school. If your child however does not regularly attend school the County Council reserves the right to make a pro-reduction to the grant and review the provision of the grant.

Passenger assistants

There is no specific duty on the County Council to provide passenger assistants for children carried on home to school transport. However, fulfilling a duty of care to passengers and others may require a passenger assistant. A passenger assistant may be provided to accompany a child with significant needs arising from a medical condition or disability and where there is exceptional need for supervision. The decision about whether a passenger assistant is provided will be made as part of your child's transport assessment. Factors that will be taken into consideration when making the decision will include:

  • medical issues
  • health and safety related issues, including risk to self or others
  • the child's mobility
  • any challenging behaviour arising from the child's special educational needs or disabilities
  • the need for continual care and supervision where a child has severe or complex medical needs
  • age and capability
  • length of journey
  • the vehicle type and size.

A passenger assistant will only be provided where there is substantial evidence that demonstrates that your child may be at risk or may pose a risk to others travelling in the same vehicle. Any assessment for an individual passenger assistant will be based on the detailed supporting evidence that is provided.

Passenger assistants are trained to look after the general welfare of the children on their home to school journeys and will not normally provide first aid or administer any form of medication. If your child requires an enhanced level of support due to a severe medical condition, then a formal risk assessment may be carried out which may include advice and guidance from relevant health professionals.

A passenger assistant may supervise more than one child on a journey.