SENDiass4BCP

10/09/2026

🚖Have your say on the future of BCP Home to School Travel Support🚍

You may be aware that yesterday BCP Council launched a consultation to review Home to School Travel Support in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Parents whose children already receives Home to School Travel Assistance, were sent an email asking for their experiences and views of the service.

BCP Council are reviewing their policies to make sure they are clear, easy to understand and help provide the right travel support for children and young people. They are also seeking views on the potential impact of any increase to post-16 travel contributions.

The aim is to make sure travel support continues to help children and young people access education in a way that supports learning, wellbeing, confidence and independence and are seeking your views.

There are two draft policies:
📝Home to School Travel and Transport Policy for Children of Compulsory School Age
📝Home to School Travel Policy Statement for Post-16 Learners

There is also a Children and Young People's Survey, giving children and young people the opportunity to share their views and experiences of travelling to school or college.

It is important to note that:
❗No decisions have been made
❗Eligibility criteria for travel assistance are not proposed to change
❗Support will continue to be based on individual needs and circumstances
❗Specialist transport will remain available where required

For many families, there may be little or no change to existing travel arrangements.
However, the Council want to understand what matters most to families before any recommendations are made.

You can take part by:
👉Completing the survey online
👉Attending one of the drop-in sessions
👉Joining an online information session
👉Requesting a paper survey if needed

The drop-in sessions will all be held between 2-5pm on the following dates:
📆23rd September at Bournemouth Library, The Triangle, BH2 5RQ
📆24th September at Northmead House, Poole BH17 7RP
📆25th September at Christchurch Library, Druitt Building, High Street, BH23 1AW

Following the consultation, all responses received will be reviewed and the Council will publish a summary of the feedback received, along with the council's response and any proposed changes to the policies. A report will be presented with the final policies to Cabinet for a decision on 16th December 2026.

🌐To find out more about the consultation and the various survey links you need, click this link- https://haveyoursay.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/en-GB/folders/home-to-school-travel

21/08/2026

Starting a new school year can bring lots of questions for parent carers. Who do you contact about SEND support, attendance, transport, wellbeing, or concerns about provision? Knowing who can help can make things much easier. Read our guide to finding the right support at the right time: https://sendiass4bcp.org/2026/08/21/finding-support-as-your-child-starts-a-new-school/

12/08/2026

On the 16th of September, Parent Carers Together will be holding a talk on Teams, where you can learn more about the new plans being put in place by BCP Council. There'll be a Q&A to follow. You'll need to book to attend, full details and links on our latest news post: https://sendiass4bcp.org/2026/08/12/parent-carers-together-invite-you-to-an-inclusion-support-session-lets-talk-send/

29/06/2026

Last drop-in of the summer! Come and have a chat with our Sarah at Somerford Arc,details: https://sendiass4bcp.org/2026/06/29/last-drop-in-before-the-summer/

04/06/2026

03/06/2026

The BCP Local Offer is being updated, and both young people and parent carers can have your say on what the new site will be like.
You can get involved by joining one of the two face-to-face sessions on the 8th of June, at Kinson Community Centre:
13:45 - 14:45
16:30 - 17:30

If you can’t attend those, share your views by filling in a survey:
Parent carers survey: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=EzNGyeE15ECUSt15jsnkiBy-ohAQ_iJFrDar2F8sh1tUM0w2NkVHVU43SDdJWFY3SDdCSlQ3UjM1VS4u

Young people survey: https://forms.office.com/e/1mvg8vrg1H

Here is the current BCP Local Offer: https://www.fid.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/send-local-offer

03/06/2026

When people ask questions about your disabled brother or sister, knowing what to say isn’t always easy 💭
Our latest YoungSibs Spotlight blog shares simple tips to help young people feel more confident in those moments 👉 www.sibs.org.uk/youngsibs/spotlight

03/06/2026

🚍 Home-to-school transport is being debated in Parliament tomorrow (4 June) 🚍

For many families of disabled children and young people, getting to school or college isn't as simple as hopping on a bus. Transport can be a lifeline that enables children and young people to access the education they need.

Recent reports have highlighted rising costs for councils, increasing numbers of children with SEND requiring transport support, and concerns that post-16 SEND transport is not fully reflected in current funding arrangements.

We know from the families who contact us that transport can be a major source of stress, particularly when suitable education settings are far from home or when support is reduced after compulsory school age.

We'll be following tomorrow's debate with interest and will continue to campaign for disabled children and young people to be able to access education without transport becoming a barrier.

You can watch Live here: https://f.mtr.cool/pyrgfoaqib

28/05/2026

June's events are ready for you to book onto - do so here: https://sendiass4bcp.org/2026/05/28/whats-on-in-june-3/

22/05/2026

Closed for Bank Holiday Monday - as my colleague kindly reminded me, aha! Hope you have a nice long, and pleasantly warm weekend, and if you need support while we're off, take a look here: https://sendiass4bcp.org/2026/05/22/bank-holiday-reminder/