The Assisted Travel team is a statutory service. We ensure young people can travel to school or college. We ensure they are not prevented from travelling by circumstance, disability or need. We ensure that children can arrive at school ready to learn.
The Assisted Travel team receive applications for transport. We assess the needs of the young person against Sutton’s local home to school travel assistance policy and national criteria. When a child is eligible, we provide support to enable them to get to their school, college or other education establishment.
Travel assistance is not always organised transport such as a taxi or minibus, though this may be appropriate for some children. Travel support may be through a personal travel budget. This is a flexible way for parents to fund the student’s journeys, it could be via a petrol allowance, or allow parents to pay for sibling childcare so they can take their eligible child to school, or to pay a friend.
Independent Travel Training (ITT) is a free service which may be appropriate for some young people from 11+ to enable them to travel to school independently.
Before confirming a form of travel assistance, the team assess eligibility and needs via the applications form. We ensure the service is safe, appropriate and cost effective for the Council’s travel budget. We visit school sites and are in daily communication with schools and operators to deliver the service, and answer any questions parents/carers may have.
For young people that need specialist equipment or support we undertake an assessment. This will ensure appropriate equipment and trained staff in place. We will also be familiar and able to deal with any additional needs that arise during the school year.
What can families expect from the service?
The team are here to help and support you through both the application process and, if travel assistance is approved, to ensure that you receive the best possible service.
To do this we welcome feedback and proactively work with families, schools, and operators to review provision and to deal with any concerns and problems there may be relating to transport.
How do I contact the service?
The Assisted Travel service can be contacted by either email at assistedtravelteam@cognus.org.uk or by calling 020 8323 0460.
(Please note that during term time staff are available between 07:30 to 17:00 and during school holidays between 09:00 and 17:00, Weekends & Bank Holidays: Closed.)
Further information can be found online at https://suttoninformationhub.org.uk (external website)