Blackpool mum’s fear as council's new scheme may take away her autistic daughter’s school transport

Nicola Fulcher’s 13-year-old daughter Sevannah, who reportedly has the mental age of a 6-year-old, attends Park Community Academy and has received council provided mini bus transport to school for the past five years. But in July this year, Nicola was told by Blackpool Council that her daughter must complete a course called ‘Independent Travel Training’ in order to learn how to get to school on her own, as it is now compulsory for all children within a three-mile radius. If Sevannah passes the training then her transportation is removed automatically.

Nicola does not want her daughter to do the course altogether as she believes Sevannah is not capable of independent travel but fears the course will have an incorrect outcome. Nicola explains that she has heard similar stories from other parents at the special educational needs school, who did not want their children to take public transport but were given no choice once deemed fit to by the course. The mum of three adds as an example: “One girl on Sevannah’s mini bus has just done the training and now she has to get public transport to school, and she’s the same age as her!”

If Sevannah's transport is removed, Nicola is unable to do the school lift for her, nor are there family around to help, but she believes the public bus journey from town is too dangerous for Sevannah on her own. Sevannah would have to get the public bus number 4, which involves a 15 minute walk from her home opposite Mecca Bingo in the town centre, down Tabort Road to her stop, outside Funny Girls, and she would then get off outside Whitegate Health Centre- a longer journey than if she just walked it. Saying the council’s policy is “wrong”, Nicola explained: “My main concern is if she gets on the wrong bus, and also if there's a fight on the bus, Sevannah would automatically get off, and if she got off at the wrong stop, that’s dangerous. It's also dangerous where she does actually get off as well!”

Family friend, Steven Lowson added: "The council have a duty of care to make sure she gets to school and back. They relinquish responsibility when she leaves school at three o'clock and say it's okay because they've got helpers on the bus, but once she gets off the bus in town, she's then got to go from town, all the way down to the Mecca Bingo on her own. I said what happens if there’s a fight on the bus, and she has a breakdown and gets off, and then someone says your mum told me to come and meet you here, she would go with them, and they said ‘oh no, we do that as part of the training’ but you can't evaluate for every day.

“Council would say well she did the training, so as far as we're concerned, she should have been alright, but that kind of thing can happen to a regular child, let alone a child in a specialist school. So we don't think it's safe, we don’t think it’s a good idea and we’re trying to get as much help as we can because we’re just banging our heads against the wall. They're just messing with people's minds for the sake of saving three pounds in fuel a day.”

Transportation will stop for Sevannah at the end of the October break unless she takes the course and is told her current provision will continue. Nicola put an appeal into the council in July but it was turned down as it was past the 20 days timeframe, so she then approached her MP, Scott Benton for help. Mr Benton, MP for Blackpool South said: “I recently met Nicola and was very concerned to hear about the withdrawal of the school transport which is currently in place for Sevannah. The alternative arrangements which Blackpool Council are looking to put in place don't seem appropriate in this case. I have written to the council on Nicola's behalf to plead her case but I have yet to receive a response to those enquiries. I hope that the council will listen to her concerns and will take steps to secure arrangements which both Sevannah and her family are comfortable with.”

A Blackpool Council spokesperson said: We don’t comment on individual cases. We are keen to support every young person to learn to travel independently as we recognise the positive lifelong impact this skill can have and we would encourage every family who has the opportunity to engage with this process.”