Wigan Council is committed to supporting our most vulnerable children and young people by creating an inclusive and thriving borough where everyone can live their best life, regardless of their ability.
In collaboration with partners, our community and voluntary sector and businesses, we’ve developed the Progress with Unity plan for the borough, which recognises our shared commitment to creating a fairer system, which puts the needs of our residents first.
Post-16 Transport Policy Statement
Every year all councils must produce a Post-16 Transport Policy Statement setting out the arrangements for enabling post-16 learners to access education. This includes information that is relevant to learners aged 16-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The Post-16 Transport Statement accompanies the Children’s Transport Policy which sets out the Council’s criteria for awarding education transport assistance. Councils, by law, are to provide free transport assistance for children of compulsory school age. There is no similar statutory obligation on the local authority to provide free transport assistance for post-16 learners. However, Wigan Council recognises that, for some young people, there may be a need. Assistance can be through a range of options from a bus pass, personal budgets, a specialised bus or support from independent travel.
Our ambition is to ensure that as many young people as possible are accessing provision with the maximum independence possible for them, as this will also support increased opportunities for additional educational, social and employment options.
Future Changes
Currently, Wigan Council provides taxis and minibuses to transport approximately 1215 eligible children and young people with SEND to their education setting each day. The numbers being supported with transport has risen by over 80% since 2017. In 2023/24 discretionary transport assistance was provided to support 165 post-16 learners with SEND to attend their education settings.
The local authority has and will continue to provide discretionary assistance for eligible post-16 learners with SEND. To ensure our policy reflects the needs and ambitions of our children, young people and their families we need your views. Your voices will help us to update the post-16 transport policy, ensuring it is fair, transparent and designed with the child or young person at the centre.
The changes will continue to provide a level of discretionary assistance for learners aged 16-25 with SEND, whilst increasing flexibility for families and young people by allowing them to have a transport solution that works for them.
Any changes would be implemented for young people newly entering post-16 education in September 2025 and onwards. All young people already in post-16 education at that point will continue on the current arrangements, except in cases where reassessment is required due to a change in circumstances, such as medical needs, a house move, a change of learning setting, or at certain key transition points in their learning where a new application for transport assistance is required.
Under future arrangements, all eligible post-16 learners with SEND will receive a Personal Travel Budget (PTB) in the form of an allowance based on distance from home to their learning setting to enable them to make their own travel arrangements.
Many families already choose to have one and find it works well for them. A PTB is an alternative to Council organised transport.
The benefits of a PTB are:
- Freedom to make your own arrangements – to suit your family
- Control over how the money is spent
- Students may feel more secure and relaxed at their place of education
- The money could be used on travel that encourages / helps students become more independent.
A PTB could be used in different ways, the following are some examples:
- Drive a student to college or school yourself
- Arrange for a friend or relative to cycle or walk with the student
- Car share with other parents
- Get a bus pass for a friend to accompany the student
- Use it towards the cost of a taxi or share the cost of the taxi with other parents
- Support the cost of before and after school clubs for other children in the family.
A Personal Travel Budget is paid on a termly basis to the parent or carer or the individual or a person acting on their behalf. The parent / carer or adult individual then assumes full responsibility for the travel arrangements and getting the child or themselves to their place of education on time and achieving good attendance.
Personal Travel Budgets are calculated at the HMRC National Mileage Rate (currently £0.45 per mile). Calculations are made for two return journeys between home and qualifying school / college based on shortest driven distance.
We also understand that for some young people with the most complex needs, council-organised transport arrangements, such as a taxi or a minibus, will be the most effective arrangements for them. Only in exceptional circumstances and where criteria are met would a PTB not be offered.
Travel Training
Wigan Council promotes independent travel where possible, to help enable young people with additional needs an opportunity to learn an important life skill. The training programme includes teaching young people and adults a range of techniques and skills. This enables them to travel independently between home, school, further education settings or places of work and leisure activities of their choice (by using public transport or walking) and to manage the associated risks, enabling everyone to live their best lives.
Independent travel training helps young people:
- Improve confidence
- Develop travel skills
- Develop social skills
- Improve communication
- Improve good health and wellbeing
- Increase access to education, employment and training
- Increase social and leisure activities.
Have your say
Please give us your views on our future provision of post-16 transport for learners aged 16-25 with SEND by filling out our online form. It should take you no more than 10 minutes to answer all the questions.
The review will close on Sunday 20th April 2025.