OCC SEND Transport Update 8th January 2026

Oxfordshire Parent Carers Forum
2 days ago
7 min read

SEND Transport Update: What You Need to Know

We wanted to share a recent update from Oxfordshire County Council’s SEND Transport Team in response to the feedback and concerns raised by families since the end of last term.

The issues we have raised recently have been more specific than last term, so many of the points below won’t apply to every family. We have included OCC’s response directly below each issue we have raised, to show the advice for different situations and who to contact if you are still having problems.

The email and phone contact details for different Transport teams are included at the bottom of this post.

If you are having problems with your child or young person’s Home-to-School transport and don’t know who to contact, or if this blog post doesn’t help you, please contact the Transport team at OCC.

Phone number: 01865 323795

You can also send an email: EE-SpecialEducationalNeedsITU@oxfordshire.gov.uk

From next week, telephone calls to the main Transport phone number will be diverted through the OCC call centre to improve overall response times, pick up urgent issues more promptly, and understand where there are ongoing problems that need to be passed to the relevant team.

1. Delays for some families in receipt of Direct Payments for own travel

Issues we raised:

· Delays despite DPs being approved from September.

· Parents told attendance data is missing, but it is unclear who is responsible for resolving this.

· No transparency around process for monitoring or confirming attendance.

Questions we asked:

· Who should families contact to resolve DP delays?

· What is the agreed policy for obtaining attendance data from schools/APs?

OCC response:

Attendance records are submitted by settings – usually on a weekly or even daily basis via electronic system.

The Transport team follow up on any missing attendance data before the end of each term. This has led to some of the reported delays, and payments being received later than expected.

OCC is working on improving the process for attendance reporting, which will include Transport being able to access attendance data directly from settings.

If you are having problems:

Contact the Transport team directly to query delays and to request follow-up with your child’s setting regarding missing attendance data.

2. Transport Suspended with No Next Steps

Issue we raised:

· We have heard from parents who have been informed that their child’s transport has been suspended (often verbally or by the driver) but then receive no follow-up email, no named contact, and no idea what happens next.

Question we asked:

· Can any future suspension notices include clear next steps, timeline, and a named contact for families?

OCC response:

A protocol for suspending students is currently being reviewed to improve this process. As part of the review, we are considering an updated approach to ensure that, in the event of any suspension, families receive a written notice (preferably by email) that clearly outlines:

· The reason for the suspension and the date it takes effect.

· Clear next steps, including what actions families may need to take and what to expect from Supported Transport.

· Direct contact details of the team responsible for managing the case.

If you are having problems:

Contact the Transport team directly, unless you have received a specific named contact in the email notifying of suspension.

3. Route Changes Contrary to Risk Assessments

Issues we raised:

· Some children who previously had solo transport (following risk assessments) have been moved to shared taxis without an updated risk review.

· This has led to further incidents or second suspensions in some cases.

Questions we asked:

· What processes are in place to ensure joint working between risk assessment and route planning teams?

OCC response:

Our Risk Assessment Team review each proposed transition from solo to shared transport to ensure the decision is safe. Planned future enhancements to the service will further reinforce and formalise the partnership between Risk Assessment and Commissioning teams, ensuring that safeguarding and individual needs remain at the forefront of any proposed changes.

We will soon be moving to a process of actioning risk assessments prior to travel support being arranged rather than after, as it’s important we understand the full needs of the child prior to assigning travel rather than retrospectively making changes due to a risk assessment.

This change will hopefully improve the child and parent/carer experience and wellbeing.

If you are having problems:

Contact the Transport team directly for queries relating to route changes.

Contact the Risk Assessment team for queries around this process, including if the information in your child’s travel passport needs updating (for example due to medication or behaviour).

4. Contract Changes at Short Notice

Issues we raised:

· New providers appearing without advance notice to families.

· Several southern routes taken over by Fleet, with reported 2+ hour journeys each way.

· No information provided on journey planning or rationale.

OCC response:

Occasionally, changes to transport contracts may occur at short notice. This can happen for several reasons:

- Contracts being retendered to comply with OCC procurement regulations.

- Service providers that are independent businesses altering their operations unexpectedly e.g. if a provider closes down or loses key staff.

In such cases, OCC must award the contract to a new provider promptly to maintain continuity of transport and these sudden changes don’t allow us to give as much notice to families. Parents will receive a formal letter explaining the change, the new provider’s details, and the start date of the revised arrangements.

Service Providers are experienced transport professionals and hold responsibility for route planning. Routes may be adjusted as passengers are added or removed, ensuring arrangements remain responsive to the needs of those travelling. For our own internal fleet, our officers use route optimisation software.

We have reviewed current internal Fleet journey times. There are no journeys in the north exceeding two hours. In the south, two routes are already under investigation due to their remote locations:

- One of these is currently being assessed after it became clear this would be a lengthy journey, so we are addressing it now, and the parent will be kept informed and involved.

- Another route exceeded two hours yesterday because of severe weather conditions. We are reviewing its route planning to find further optimisations and reduce travel time.

When beginning any new routes, we allow a week for adjustments and monitoring travel times - this is especially important during weeks of exceptionally cold weather and icy conditions, which can cause unusual delays.

If you are having problems:

If parents have concerns around Fleet journeys, they are encouraged to contact the depot first for review, as the Depot Manager double-checks schedules and route optimisation.

For journeys using external providers, please contact the OCC Transport team.

5. Unclear or Missing Collection Times

Issues we raised:

· Some parents have been told that external taxi providers can’t share timings because the LA is the direct contractor.

· Others rely on trial and error or informal contact with other families to know when their child will be picked up.

OCC response:

OCC does not hold individual pick-up times because these are determined by the service provider based on route planning. Providers are expected to share approximate timings directly with parents. They are not restricted from doing so, even though OCC is the contracting authority. Parent letters include the following guidance: “As we do not hold the information ourselves, please call the operator directly for an approximate pick-up time on the first morning.”This ensures parents know who to contact for accurate information.

If you are having problems:

If a provider refuses to share timings or states they cannot because OCC is the direct contractor, this is incorrect. Providers are required to give parents approximate times. In such cases, parents should raise a complaint by email to the Contracts Compliance team, so OCC can intervene promptly.

6. Incorrect Term Dates / Contract Timing

Issues we raised:

· One parent reported the taxi provider was told the contract ended a week before term finished — leaving the family to cover transport at short notice.

· Families often bear the financial and emotional cost of these oversights.

OCC response:

We recommend that, in situations where there are uncertainty or delays regarding Transport arrangements, families should contact the Transport team immediately. This enables the service to investigate the circumstances, verify details directly with the relevant settings or taxi providers, and ensure that any outstanding matters are resolved as quickly as possible. Direct engagement helps to clarify the status of transport provision, facilitates prompt follow-up or additional support where applicable. It also ensures that the appropriate channels are used to escalate concerns and supports the ongoing improvement of the service through feedback from families.

If you are having problems:

Contact the Transport team directly.

7. Ongoing Communication Failures

Issues we raised:

· Multiple reports of emails and calls going unanswered for weeks, including safeguarding-related cases.

· OxPCF has not been informed of operational changes or disruptions, limiting our ability to support families or share accurate information.

· Updates (where they exist) are not being proactively communicated to families who rely on SEND transport.

OCC response:

We currently have 13 emails outstanding from January 2026. The service monitors and manages external communications daily and is reviewing its procedures to ensure that all enquiries, particularly those involving safeguarding, receive prompt and appropriate responses.

We are currently reviewing all communications sent from our service to parents and carers, aiming to ensure they are engaging, clear, and effectively set expectations. This review began over the summer with letters issued upon receipt of applications, but now it extends to all correspondence. For example, the letters informing families when a child's travel will switch to our fleet could be clearer and should better highlight the genuine benefits of joining our internal fleet; this is just one letter among many being reviewed.

While we cannot notify OxPCF of every operational change within the service, we absolutely recognise the benefit of keeping key partners informed when significant service changes, disruptions, or updates occur.

We are working with OxPCF to set up a Parent Carer Advisory group to start within the next few weeks, which will support ongoing collaboration and seek feedback relating to Supported Transport. We are planning to share service updates on a new mailing list for families who use Supported Transport, based on feedback from the advisory group to confirm that the content we plan to share is both relevant and timely for parents and carers.

Contact details for Transport teams:

Email:

SEN Team Email: EE-SpecialEducationalNeedsITU@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Social Care Team: EE-SocialCareITU@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Mainstream: mainstream.schooltransport@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Risk assessment: TransportRiskAssessment@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Contracts compliance team (complaints): QMCC@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Phone:

SEN: 01865 323795

Social care: 01865 323490

Mainstream: 01865 323500