{"id":20292,"date":"2018-04-03T20:49:57","date_gmt":"2018-04-03T19:49:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bcpdt.org.uk\/news\/?p=20292"},"modified":"2023-05-30T23:58:59","modified_gmt":"2023-05-30T22:58:59","slug":"travel-training-gives-young-people-with-learning-disabilities-a-ticket-to-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bcpdt.org.uk\/news\/2018\/04\/03\/travel-training-gives-young-people-with-learning-disabilities-a-ticket-to-ride\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel training gives young people with learning disabilities a ticket to ride"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new scheme that helps vulnerable young people use public transport alone could save councils millions of pounds.<\/p>\n

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\"PoweredThis article titled “Travel training gives young people with learning disabilities a ticket to ride” was written by David Brindle, for The Guardian on Tuesday 3rd April 2018 12.00 UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

Until late last year, Ren\u00e9 Lukebana Mansitu was taken by taxi to and from college. His autism and mild learning disability were judged too problematic to allow him to make his own way. Now, the 18-year-old happily walks to a station, catches a train and then changes to a bus to get to his performing arts course. He\u2019s never been late.<\/p>\n

Ren\u00e9 is a \u201ctravel training\u201d success story: giving older children and young people with support needs the confidence to use public transport. It is an important step in preparing them for independent adult life, but it can also mean a significant saving for cash-strapped councils facing escalating bills for home-to-school transport.<\/p>\n

In England, alone, councils are spending \u00a31bn a year on taxis, minibuses and other travel arrangements to get children to and from school or college. Hampshire admits that, at \u00a332m, it spends more on such travel than it does on children\u2019s social workers.<\/p>\n

Alison Michalska, the president of the Association of Directors of Children\u2019s Services, says: \u201cAny other large county council has the same story to tell. That\u2019s a hell of a lot of money tied up potentially in the wrong place<\/a> within the system.\u201d The ADCS wants a government review of council responsibilities for school transport, which it describes as unsustainable<\/a>. It particularly wants changes to rules<\/a> that require councils to provide or fund transport for children who have no support needs but live more than two or three miles, depending on age, from the nearest state-maintained school.<\/p>\n