Taxi Driver Online

Didn't even read this article a couple of days ago - looked a bit like a slew of other articles, and we've all got the picture by now.

But it's substantially more interesting than the headline makes it sound

That said, I haven't really engaged with the detail, and didn't even skim the actual ombudsman's investigation and report

But a fair bit of potential and interesting reading, if anyone's interested in the nitty gritty of this sort of stuff.

Anyway, this is the BBC's report first, and the ombudsman's news release is in the post below:


Children reluctant to use SEND school taxis

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm4g1z0z78z9o

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/9 ... 8.jpg.webp

"I don't want to put my children in the school transport taxi, but how else do I get them to school?" asks Donna.

Three of her children have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and rely on Essex County Council's transport scheme to get to their specialist school.

Donna was one of a number of parents who got in touch with the BBC after a watchdog found the scheme caused families distress and put children's safety at risk.

Sam Journet, cabinet member for education, SEND and skills, said the report "was shocking" and the council had "asked for a top to bottom review of home-to school-transport".

The council received more than 90 complaints about the transport scheme in autumn 2025 and more than 20 further complaints in January and February this year, according to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).

It investigated two separate complaints concerning missed or late pick-ups, drivers changing frequently and one child going missing.

Under the transport provider 24x7, routes and drivers would change to save money, showing "a disregard" for the needs of children that "rely on consistency and routine", the report said.

Donna, 40 and from Colchester, said her children now "don't want to get on the taxi" and she had made a complaint to the council.

"We've had staff sicknesses, so at the last minute we're told they can't collect, or they'll be 60 minutes late - or you'll get to the other end of the day, where a pick-up will be late, stranding the children at school for an hour," she said.

On one occasion, staff drove her children home; on others, her husband has left work early to collect the children.

She compared this to the previous transport company, where "the drivers were absolutely fabulous, fully trained, interacted with the kids".

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/9 ... 8.jpg.webp

Emma's husband had lost his job after "his boss didn't understand that he needed to do the school run", she said.

Their seven-year-old daughter is severely autistic and completely non-verbal and needs harnesses to keep her safe when she is being transported to school.

"The previous company were very welcoming, calling my daughter by her first name as soon as they saw her," said the 40-year-old.

"When she got in the taxi the first time, there was no communication, which made me feel uncomfortable - and can you imagine how it made her feel?"

Soon her daughter "didn't want to get in the transport, she was anxious, she was pacing and running, clinging to me, so that was really upsetting" she said.

Emma and her husband, who is now self-employed, now do the school run.

As they have another child whose school is 20 minutes in a different direction, their daughter "has a really long journey to get to school"

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/9 ... 8.jpg.webp

"He will be awake in the night - and it's the first thing he says to me in the morning is 'I don't want to go to school'," said Rebecca, 36.

"We haven't reached that point where he doesn't go, but there have been a few times when he has been stood outside completely frozen, not able to get into the taxi."

She was describing her 11-year-old, who was "really struggling" since he had begun using the scheme to take him to his new secondary school.

"24x7 don't seem to have the information from the local authority about the children's needs and they just try and seem to be trying to get as many children into the taxis as possible," she added.

Rebecca has also put in a complaint to the council.

Journet said the LGSCO report "was shocking, it's quite frankly atrocious... [parents] were very right to complain".

He said: "We can't say that it's never going to happen again, but we're doing everything in our power to ensure the service becomes the best it can be."

The Reform UK councillor blamed the previous Conservative administration, which had run Essex County Council for a quarter of a century.

"What we can take ownership of is how we move forward and we ensure that the service is the best that it can be," he added.

"Myself and the leader, Peter Harris, have asked for a top to bottom review of home-to-school transport and where providers are not providing that service, that high expectation that we have for the service, we will hold them to account."

This is the ombudsman's press release, which is reasonably digestible. But the actual investigation and report is available via the pres release link, and is a bit longer and more detailed etc

And, aye, the ombudsman obviously thinks wee should all live in this perfect world, too


Essex families let down by school transport failures, as council agrees to overhaul safeguarding and inclusion practices

https://www.lgo.org.uk/information-cent ... -practices

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has found Essex County Council at fault after an investigation uncovered serious and repeated failings in transport arrangements for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), causing significant distress to families and putting children's safety at risk.

The investigation examined two separate complaints. In the first, a mother described how her two children, both of whom have Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans, experienced late and missed pick-ups, inconsistent drivers, and an incident in which her daughter went missing for 30 minutes when there was confusion about which driver was collecting her.

In the second, a mother whose son also has an EHC Plan and was attending an alternative education setting, raised concerns after his transport failed to arrive, drivers changed frequently without notice, and safeguarding concerns she raised went unanswered.

The Ombudsman investigated the mother’s concerns and found Essex County Council and its commissioned transport provider, 24x7, failed to:

• carry out risk assessments for children eligible for transport and share the outcomes with the transport provider,

• ensure a reliable and consistent driver allocation system, particularly when replacement drivers were needed,

• take account of children's individual needs, including those arising from autism and other disabilities, when planning journeys,

• respond adequately to safeguarding concerns raised by parents, and

• ensure its guide for parents and carers on SEND transport reflected statutory guidance.

The Ombudsman also found the transport provider's use of "mileage contracts", which allow routes and drivers to change from week to week for cost efficiency, showed a disregard for the needs of children who rely on consistency and routine, and failed to have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The investigation heard the council received more than 90 complaints about the transport provider in autumn 2025 alone, and more than 20 further complaints in the first two months of 2026, indicating the failings identified are likely to have affected many more families.

Amerdeep Clarke, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

"What happened to these families should not happen to anyone relying on councils to get their children safely and reliably to school. Missed pick-ups, unexplained changes of driver, and unanswered safeguarding concerns caused real distress to children who, in many cases, depend on consistency and routine to feel safe.

"This case should serve as a wake-up call for all councils that commission home-to-school transport, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Contracts that prioritise cost efficiency over consistency can have a real and lasting impact on vulnerable children's wellbeing and their readiness to learn.

"I welcome Essex County Council's swift acceptance of our recommendations and its commitment to strengthening risk assessments, improving how it works with its transport provider, and ensuring its guidance for parents reflects statutory requirements. I would encourage other councils to reflect on the lessons from this case and satisfy themselves that their own transport arrangements properly consider the needs of every child who relies on them."

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public services. In this case the council has agreed to apologise to both mothers and reimburse one mother's mileage costs for the journeys she had to make herself when transport failed to turn up.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council has agreed to set out clear criteria for triggering risk assessments for children eligible for transport, work with its transport provider to ensure reasonable adjustments are considered for children with disabilities, strengthen its Performance Improvement Plan for the transport provider, and update its guide for parents and carers on SEND transport so that it complies with statutory guidance.

Article date: 01 October 2026