Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Newham could lose access to a travel buddy scheme. It is a scheme designed to help them travel independently to school, however council looks to cut costs amid mounting financial pressures.
Newham Council has confirmed it is reviewing the scheme as part of wider efforts to reduce a projected £5.1 million overspend within its children and young people’s service.
The travel buddy programme forms part of the council’s home-to-school transport service and is intended to help children with SEND gradually build the confidence to travel to school on their own.
A council spokesperson stressed that no child would lose access to appropriate transport support as a result of the review.
They said: “As part of the council’s ongoing review of home-to-school transport, we are reviewing travel buddy arrangements alongside wider service improvements.
“The travel buddy scheme has historically been used as a short-term intervention to help children and young people develop confidence and independence in travelling, rather than as a long-term transport arrangement.”
The council said any changes would only follow individual assessments and that its legal duty to provide transport assistance for eligible pupils would continue.
According to council financial papers, the authority is facing a £3 million overspend within its home-to-school transport budget alone, driven by rising demand for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and increasing transport costs.
The report states that growing numbers of pupils requiring transport have forced the council to rely more heavily on private taxi operators after its own vehicle fleet reached full capacity. Private taxi services are estimated to cost around 50% more than council-operated transport.
Council officers also warned that recent changes to government guidance have expanded eligibility for home-to-school transport, meaning applications are expected to rise further.
As part of its cost-saving measures, the report identifies the potential withdrawal of the travel buddy scheme as one option under consideration.
Under financial rules introduced last year, council departments facing overspends are expected to identify savings before they can access contingency funding or reserves.
Presenting the latest financial report, Labour cllr Zulfiqar Ali, cabinet member for finance, said councils across the country continued to face unprecedented financial pressures.
He said the authority’s stricter financial controls had helped strengthen its resilience while protecting frontline services.
