Personal Travel Budgets Tracy Fisher SEN Travel Adviser

Personal Travel Budgets Personal Travel Budgets are available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities who are eligible for SEN Transport under the guidelines published in the Swindon Borough Councils Transport Policy. If a family already receives support for their child/young persons home to school travel arrangements then they may be entitled to a Personal Travel Budget.

Making travel to and from school more personal Some children find the bus to school too long, tiring and stressful. Some children want to go to an after school club but can’t because the bus/taxi leaves before the after school club finishes. Some families want to take their child to school but can’t afford to. Personal Travel Budgets support families to choose a school transport option that suits them,

A Personal Travel Budget is flexible For example, it can be used to: Buy a travel pass for an adult to accompany the child to and from school. Pay for an escort to walk the child to school. Cover the cost of driving or cycling with your child to school. Share travel arrangements with other parents. Cover the cost of child care arrangements for siblings to allow parents to take their child to school.

How your Personal Travel Budget is calculated A Personal Travel Budget is calculated based on the distance from home to school. The SEN Travel Adviser will work out your budget. To keep things simple we do not expect you to keep records or receipts; we just want to ensure your child attends school and is happy and confident.

Example of how a Personal Travel Budget is calculated We use google maps to find the shortest driving route from home to school. If a family live 4 miles from their designated appropriate school then the following calcualtion is made to work out their Personal Travel Budget: 4 miles X 4 journeys per day = 16 miles total per day 16 miles X 0.55 = £8.80 per day this in then multiplied by 190 days (the number of days in an academic school year) This give us a total yearly amount of £1,672.00 this budget is paid in 11 equal monthly instalments of £152

What happens if Personal Travel Budget does not work out The Local Authority still has a responsibility to ensure that most vulnerable children get the help they need. If the Personal Travel Budget was unsuccessful or your circumstances changed we would support you to solve problems or change your Personal Travel Budget.

For more information contact Tracy Fisher – SEN Travel Adviser Tel 01793 465760 Mobile 07769 281797 Email tfisher@siwndon.gov.uk Information is also available on http://www.mycaremysupport.co.uk/