SEND Home-to-School and College Travel: Update and Troubleshooting Guide 8/09/26
- Oxfordshire Parent Carers Forum
- 3 minutes ago
- 12 min read
Over the past few weeks, hundreds of parent carers have shared their experiences of home-to-school and college travel with OxPCF, both through our recent survey and by contacting us directly.
We know that for many families, transport arrangements are working well. However, as of Tuesday 8 September, some families are still waiting for transport to be put in place, while others are experiencing problems with the arrangements they have received.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to tell us what has been happening for their family. Your feedback is helping us build a much clearer picture of the issues affecting families across Oxfordshire and identify where there are recurring problems.
Our recent Home to School/College Travel Survey received 256 responses. We’ve reviewed these alongside the feedback families have shared with us directly and grouped the experiences into 15 main issues or circumstances:
Personal Travel Budget (PTB) issues – where the PTB offered is insufficient, impractical or cannot realistically be used to arrange transport.
Unsuitable transport arrangements – where transport is in place but is incorrect, incomplete or does not meet the child or young person’s needs.
No contact from OCC – including families who have received no direct communication or only received information after contacting OCC themselves.
Post-16 timetable issues – including timetables not being requested, submitted or received by the correct team.
Travel Information Form (TIF) issues – where forms have not been requested, submitted, received or correctly recorded.
Contact detail issues – where OCC may not hold complete or up-to-date contact information for a family.
Named providers having no record of the journey – where families have been given a provider but the provider does not have the corresponding contract or journey details.
Missing information or handover problems – where information has not transferred correctly between OCC teams, schools/settings, providers or other professionals.
Provider reliability and no-shows – including late collections, vehicles not arriving and other operational problems.
Continuing placement issues – where children and young people continuing at the same setting have been asked to reapply or reconfirm information.
Eligibility and appeals – where supported travel has been refused or a child or young person has been found ineligible.
Outdated or incorrect information – such as the wrong school, setting, home address or other details being used.
Medical and additional support needs – where arrangements do not adequately reflect a child or young person’s medical, accessibility, safety or support needs.
Safeguarding concerns – where transport arrangements or incidents raise concerns about a child or young person’s safety.
No clear reason for missing transport – including children aged 5–16 who are continuing at the same setting, previously received supported travel and have no identified change in circumstances, but still do not have transport in place.
These issues don’t necessarily affect families in isolation. Many responses highlighted more than one problem and, in some cases, one issue appears to have led to another.
We have shared these themes with Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) and have been working with the Supported Travel team to clarify what families should do when something isn’t right and, importantly, who they should contact.
We know it can be difficult to work out where to go for help, particularly when different issues need to be dealt with by different parts of the service. We have therefore used the issues families have raised to develop the practical troubleshooting guide below.
Home-to-school and college travel: what to do if there is a problem
The guide is designed to help you identify the situation that most closely matches what is happening for your family, understand what you can do next and find the most appropriate route for raising the issue with OCC.
OxPCF cannot manage or resolve individual transport cases, but we will continue to listen to parent carers, identify recurring issues and raise these with OCC through our wider work.
The information below is based on guidance provided by OCC and the contact routes available as of Tuesday 8 September 2026.
Before you contact OCC
When contacting OCC, include your child or young person’s name, date of birth, school or setting, and a short explanation of the issue. Where possible, include key dates, who you have already contacted, any reference numbers, and what outcome you are asking for.
To help OCC direct your message, put a clear issue label at the start of your email subject line, followed by your child or young person’s name and school or setting. For example: PTB ISSUE – Sam Smith – Example School.
Telephone contact
If you need to contact the transport team by phone:
1. Call the transport number.
2. When asked what you are calling about, say “school transport”.
3. You will be asked to speak to the virtual assistant.
4. If the answer does not help, say that it has not answered your question, or ask to speak to an agent.
5. You should then be connected to a helpdesk adviser.
The recorded message currently says that advisers cannot provide individual updates about your child’s transport.
We are following this up with the transport team to clarify when telephone support is available and what information advisers can provide. We recognise that some families may not have access to email, or may be unable to use email for other reasons.
Contact details by telephone and email are at the end of this update.
1. Personal Travel Budget (PTB) does not work for your family
If you have been offered a Personal Travel Budget (PTB) and it does not work for your child or family, reply directly to the email that offered it.
Explain why the proposed arrangement is not suitable. For example, this might be because:
· the amount is not enough to arrange suitable transport;
· you cannot provide the journeys yourself;
· you have not been able to find a suitable provider; or
· the arrangement does not meet your child’s needs.
Be as specific as possible about what makes the PTB unworkable and what is preventing you from arranging the journey. OCC says it can then review the offer and your circumstances.
Email: Reply directly to the email that offered you the PTB.
Subject label: PTB ISSUE
2. Transport has been arranged but is unsuitable or incorrect
If transport has been arranged but something about it is wrong, missing or unsuitable, contact Supported Travel or your dedicated Transport Coordinator if you have their details.
This could include:
· incorrect school or address details;
· unsuitable collection or drop-off times;
· journey arrangements that are not appropriate for your child; or
· support such as a passenger assistant not being in place.
Set out clearly what has been arranged, what is wrong or unsuitable, and what your child needs instead. If you have already raised the issue, include when you first contacted OCC and any response you have received.
If you believe the arrangements being offered are not suitable for your child’s needs, OCC also has a formal transport appeal route.
Subject label: UNSUITABLE ARRANGEMENT
3. You have not had direct contact from OCC
If you have not had any direct contact from OCC’s Supported Travel team about your child’s transport, check that the team is aware of your child and has everything it needs to progress the arrangements.
Contact Supported Travel and ask them to confirm:
· that your child’s case is on their system;
· whether they are waiting for anything from you; and
· whether any information has not been linked to your child’s case.
Include your child’s name, date of birth, school or setting, and any details of when you applied or submitted your Travel Information Form.
OCC’s published information says families may need to have provided a Travel Information Form, Post-16 timetable or other requested supporting information before arrangements can be progressed. Even if you believe everything has already been sent, checking can help identify a missing step.
Subject label: NO CONTACT RECEIVED
4. Post-16 timetable information is missing
If there may be an issue with OCC having a young person’s Post-16 timetable, check this as soon as possible.
OCC says it cannot confirm Post-16 travel arrangements until it has received and reviewed the student’s complete timetable. Once the complete timetable has been received, OCC says arrangements may take up to 15 working days to assess and confirm.
If the timetable has not been sent, or may have been sent to another team or email address, send it to Supported Travel.
If you have already sent it but are still waiting, refer to the date you sent it so the team can check that it has been received and linked to the young person’s case.
Subject label: POST-16 TIMETABLE
5. Travel Information Form (TIF) is missing or outstanding
If OCC says your child’s Travel Information Form (TIF) is missing or outstanding, email Supported Travel and explain when and how you submitted it.
The TIF asks parents and carers to provide personal information, needs and travel details. Transport arrangements cannot begin until it has been submitted and recognised.
Helpful information to include:
· when you submitted the form;
· how you submitted it;
· any confirmation email, screenshot or other record; and
· whether you have since been asked to complete another TIF.
If you have not yet completed a TIF, or have been asked to complete a new one, do so as soon as possible.
OxPCF is aware of a small number of cases where forms completed earlier in the year were not recognised in the OCC system. If you have been prompted to complete one since 30 June 2026, completing it again may help ensure it has been received.
Subject label: TIF OUTSTANDING
6. OCC only contacted you by post
If transport information has only been sent to you by post, it may simply be how that particular information was issued. However, it is worth checking that OCC has a current email address for you.
This is especially important because OCC’s latest transport information refers to contacting families directly about arrangements and other updates.
Email Supported Travel from the address you would like them to use. Include:
· your child’s name;
· your child’s date of birth;
· their school or setting; and
· a request for OCC to check that your email address is recorded correctly against your child’s transport details.
This gives OCC an opportunity to correct any contact information issue before further messages are missed.
Subject label: CONTACT DETAILS
7. OCC named a provider but the provider has no record of the journey
If OCC has told you that a transport provider has been arranged, but the provider says they do not have a record of your child’s journey or the information they need, go back to Supported Travel or your dedicated Transport Coordinator.
Explain clearly that:
· OCC gave you the provider’s details;
· the provider cannot see the corresponding arrangement; and
· the provider does not appear to have the journey details or information needed.
Include the provider’s name and any route details or reference numbers you have been given.
OCC says its team can check what information has been provided to a transport provider and correct it where necessary.
Subject label: NAMED PROVIDER HAS NO CONTRACT
8. Information has not transferred between teams
If you have already provided information about your child to OCC, their school or setting, or another professional, but it has not reached the people arranging transport, contact Supported Travel.
Set out:
· what information is missing;
· who you originally provided it to;
· approximately when you provided it;
· how the missing information is affecting transport; and
· the information again, if safe and appropriate.
We recognise how frustrating it can be to provide the same information again, especially when you have already supplied it elsewhere. However, providing it again may help prevent further delay.
You can also ask the team to confirm that the relevant information has now been added to your child’s transport record.
Subject label: MISSING INFORMATION
9. Provider no-shows, lateness or reliability problems
If your child’s transport has been arranged but you are experiencing late collections, no-shows, or other reliability problems, report this to Supported Travel.
OCC’s guidance includes persistent lateness and non-attendance among the concerns families should raise.
Keep a simple record of incidents, including:
· dates;
· expected collection times;
· actual collection times;
· whether the vehicle did not arrive; and
· the impact on your child.
If the problem happens repeatedly, this record may make it easier to show the pattern rather than relying on memory.
For ongoing or repeated concerns, you may also copy in Transport Quality Monitoring/Contracts Compliance.
Email: SupportedTravelTransport@oxfordshire.gov.uk; copy QMCC@oxfordshire.gov.uk for ongoing or repeated concerns.
Subject label: PROVIDER RELIABILITY/NO SHOW
10. Continuing at the same placement but asked to apply again
If your child or young person is continuing at the same placement but you have been asked to complete another transport application, Travel Information Form or other form, ask Supported Travel to confirm why this is needed.
OCC’s information does not explain every circumstance in which families at an unchanged placement may be asked to provide information again, so it is best to ask for confirmation rather than assume the reason.
Ask Supported Travel to confirm:
· whether a new application or form is required in your child’s circumstances;
· whether everything required has now been received; and
· whether anything else is still outstanding before transport can be confirmed.
If you have already submitted the requested information, include when you sent it.
Subject label: CONTINUING PLACEMENT
11. Transport refused or found ineligible
If your child or young person has been found ineligible for supported travel or transport has been refused, check the decision letter carefully.
If you disagree with the decision, OCC advises that eligibility decisions should be challenged through its Home to School Transport review and appeals process, rather than through the team that arranges transport once eligibility has been agreed.
When reviewing the decision, check:
· the reason OCC has given for refusing transport;
· the review or appeal route described in the decision letter;
· any deadline for requesting a review; and
· what evidence or explanation you may need to provide.
The appeal route is the formal process for asking OCC to look again at an eligibility decision or refusal.
Contact OCC: Use OCC’s home-to-school transport review and appeals process.
12. OCC is using outdated information
If transport appears to have been planned using information that is no longer correct, contact Supported Travel and explain the issue clearly.
Examples might include:
· an old home address;
· a previous school or setting;
· outdated medical information;
· outdated safety information; or
· support needs that have changed.
Identify what information OCC appears to be using, what has changed, and what the correct information should now be.
If you previously notified another OCC team, school, setting or professional about the change, include who you told and when.
OCC says its Supported Travel team can check information supplied to transport providers and correct it where necessary.
Subject label: OUTDATED INFORMATION
13. Medical, safety or support needs are not being met
If your child’s transport arrangements do not properly take account of their medical, safety or additional support needs, contact your Transport Coordinator or Supported Travel.
Explain specifically:
· what your child needs;
· what is currently missing or unsuitable;
· what impact this is having; and
· whether there is a safety risk.
This might include concerns about the vehicle or journey arrangements, a passenger assistant not being in place, missing training, accessibility needs, or other support your child needs to travel safely.
If you believe the issue also raises a safeguarding concern, use OCC’s safeguarding route as well as raising the transport issue.
Subject label: MEDICAL / SUPPORT NEEDS
14. Safeguarding concerns
If you believe a transport issue raises a safeguarding concern, report it as soon as possible using OCC’s safeguarding route.
This could include concerns about:
· a child or young person’s safety while travelling;
· the suitability of arrangements where there is a risk of harm; or
· information that needs urgent attention because it affects safe transport.
OCC has a Transport Safeguarding Officer, and safeguarding concerns should be raised promptly.
For an immediate risk of harm or a serious emergency, call 999.
If you are unsure whether an issue is safeguarding or transport quality, it may be appropriate to raise it with both the safeguarding route and the relevant transport contact.
Subject label: TRANSPORT SAFEGUARDING CONCERN
Useful contacts and links
· Phone number: 01865 519800
· Supported Travel: SupportedTravelTransport@oxfordshire.gov.uk
· Transport Quality Monitoring/Contracts Compliance: QMCC@oxfordshire.gov.uk
· Transport Safeguarding Officer: transportsafeguardingofficer@Oxfordshire.gov.uk
· OCC home-to-school travel update: OCC 26/27 Home-to-School Travel Update
· OCC transport appeals: Appeal for home to school transport
· Travel Information Form: Travel Information Form (TIF)
Keep sharing your experiences
Please continue to share your experiences of home-to-school and college travel with OxPCF – both where things are working well and where you are still experiencing difficulties.
The feedback you share helps us build a clearer picture of what families are experiencing, identify recurring issues, understand whether things are improving and highlight wider issues with the transport process. We’ll continue to raise the themes we hear from parent carers with OCC and through our work with the Local Area Partnership.
If you’ve previously shared your experience with us and your situation has changed, been resolved or a new problem has arisen, please do keep us updated. This helps us understand not only where problems remain, but also where things are being successfully resolved.
You can share your feedback with us by:
Email: feedback@oxpcf.org.uk
Feedback form: [insert feedback form link]
WhatsApp: message or send us a voice note on 07394 735666
Please remember that OxPCF cannot resolve individual transport cases, but the experiences you share provide important evidence for the issues and themes we raise on behalf of parent carers across Oxfordshire.
Talk directly to OCC’s Head of Fleet & Transport Services
We’re also pleased that Alexandra O’Hanlon, Head of Fleet & Transport Services at Oxfordshire County Council, will be joining our Online SEND Connect session on Wednesday 16 September, 11am–1pm.
This will be an opportunity for parent carers to hear directly from Alexandra about SEND home-to-school and college travel, ask questions, share experiences and hear about the work underway to improve the service.
Everyone is welcome, and the session is free to attend.
Find out more and register: www.oxpcf.org.uk/events
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