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| Council spending on Special needs transport doubles http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40341 |
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| Author: | edders23 [ Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:43 am ] |
| Post subject: | Council spending on Special needs transport doubles |
An article from the Biased broadcasting corporations' website but it does raise an interesting point and that is why has the prices of these contracts gone so high ? time for a forum members debate maybe ? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68665303 Council spending on school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has almost doubled in the last five years, BBC research has found. Spending is set to hit £1.4bn across local authorities in England in 2023-24, a 95% rise from £728m in 2018-19. Councils are required by law to provide free transport to SEND children who are unable to walk to school. The government said it was investing £2.6bn in special school places. It said this would mean fewer children would need to travel long distances, reducing costs. Council leaders say while inflation has pushed up costs, the rise has been fuelled by increased demand and complex cases. Local authorities have seen demand increase by over 40%, with more than 183,000 children using the services this year. Meanwhile, the average annual cost of SEND school transport per child across England has gone up by around a third, from £6,280 to £8,299. The rising cost of providing school transport is a key driver of the current pressure on council budgets. Council leaders have warned overspends in this area will lead to cuts in services elsewhere as they try to balance the books and avoid following other councils who have recently gone bust. The leader of the County Councils Network, Tim Oliver, said the cost of school transport was "unsustainable" and suggested means-testing should be looked at, meaning some parents might have to pay. Haven't posted full article but why has demand increased 40% in 5 years ? Is it just that we are classifying more children as SEND or has there been a large increase in the numbers of children being born with disabilities etc.. Is this possibly a consequence of immigration with far more children born to parents who are much more closely related(DNA wise) due to the selection process of arranged marriages ? I think there is also an element of greed in some areas with many bids going in at high prices. That said many of these contracts are very short term and that encourages the fast buck mentality. I also think that the process is far less of a bidding war now which reduces competitive pricing. |
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| Author: | grandad [ Wed Mar 27, 2024 1:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Council spending on Special needs transport doubles |
I think that far more students are being classed as SEND which has increased the bill by a lot. Also some establishments have closed meaning that students have further to travel. |
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| Author: | Sussex [ Wed Mar 27, 2024 8:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Council spending on Special needs transport doubles |
Defo an increase in kids going to special schools, and a huge increase in the costs per pupil. Councils are also upping the criteria for tendering, extra online training for drivers and escorts. Add the extra cost of vehicles, in particular WAVs, it's no surprise to be one bit. It's also, in my view, a big boys game now. Waiting months for your money is not what most sole cabbies can do, and anyone who has attempted to fill in one of the vast tendering forms is a better man than me. |
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| Author: | wannabeeahack [ Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Council spending on Special needs transport doubles |
it isnt a cost to the council, they tell central government, tehy send the counil the money, besides whch, why moan about taxi costs (cheapest tender) when a local SEN private venture owned school of 140 kids charge £100,000 per child per year fees? |
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| Author: | wannabeeahack [ Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Council spending on Special needs transport doubles |
Sussex wrote: Defo an increase in kids going to special schools. Councils are also upping the criteria for tendering, extra online training for drivers and escorts. Add the extra cost of vehicles, in particular WAVs, it's no surprise to be one bit. It's also, in my view, a big boys game now. Waiting months for your money is not what most sole cabbies can do, and anyone who has attempted to fill in one of the vast tendering forms is a better man than me. YAYYYYYYY im a better man than Mr Sussex.....did it for 17 years |
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| Author: | wannabeeahack [ Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:15 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Council spending on Special needs transport doubles |
The biggest https://24x7group.co.uk/ |
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| Author: | grandad [ Fri Mar 29, 2024 11:36 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Council spending on Special needs transport doubles |
wannabeeahack wrote: how much do they pay? |
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| Author: | Sussex [ Fri Mar 29, 2024 7:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Council spending on Special needs transport doubles |
grandad wrote: They usually supply their vehicles and employ drivers and escorts on a wage. A good mate of mine with an 8 seater WAV was offered a job, with his wife as an escort, that would take a couple of hours in the morning and the same in the afternoon. He would get £200 a day, and she would get £60 a day. So basically £5,200 a month. Would you believe he got a better run elsewhere? 
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| Author: | wannabeeahack [ Sun Mar 31, 2024 12:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Council spending on Special needs transport doubles |
Sussex wrote: grandad wrote: They usually supply their vehicles and employ drivers and escorts on a wage. A good mate of mine with an 8 seater WAV was offered a job, with his wife as an escort, that would take a couple of hours in the morning and the same in the afternoon. He would get £200 a day, and she would get £60 a day. So basically £5,200 a month. Would you believe he got a better run elsewhere? PM sent |
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| Author: | wannabeeahack [ Sun Mar 31, 2024 1:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Council spending on Special needs transport doubles |
grandad wrote: pm sent |
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| Author: | wannabeeahack [ Mon Apr 01, 2024 6:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Council spending on Special needs transport doubles |
Sussex wrote: They usually supply their vehicles and employ drivers and escorts on a wage. A good mate of mine with an 8 seater WAV was offered a job, with his wife as an escort, that would take a couple of hours in the morning and the same in the afternoon. He would get £200 a day, and she would get £60 a day. So basically £5,200 a month. Would you believe he got a better run elsewhere? Thats not 24x7 ltd group, a PA would always get 2.5hrs/day at the NMW = £130 per week on a route, as thats the minimum paid to any staff in any vehicle and they dont subcontract and only use drivers badged in the operating county |
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