SEN: Lack of Clarity from EA "Hurtful and Deeply Frustrating"

A father from Greysteel in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, says he is hurt and frustrated because the Education Authority (EA) has not told him which taxi company will take his seven-year-old daughter to school. His daughter, Maisie, has special educational needs and is autistic and non-verbal. The family found out just 24 hours before the new school term that no new taxi operator had been chosen. Columba Mailey says the lack of communication from the EA has made a very difficult situation even harder for his family.

Maisie had been using a taxi provided by the EA to travel to and from school. She got used to her driver over time, which was important because she needs routine and familiarity to feel safe. However, the EA recently put the taxi contract out to tender, meaning they opened it up for different companies to apply for the job. This meant that Maisie's regular driver could be replaced, and the family did not know who would take her to school.

Columba Mailey explained that Maisie's needs make the journey to school especially challenging. She can try to get out of her seat and is unable to speak if something is wrong. Because of this, she needs one-to-one supervision in the taxi, just as she does at home and at school. Mailey said that building a relationship with a new driver takes a lot of time and patience, and not knowing who that driver would be was very stressful.

The EA made changes to its taxi contracts after asking drivers to cut their rates by 10% or risk losing their contracts. In February, a deal was reached that saved more than £900,000. The EA said it has a responsibility to make sure it gets good value for money on all its services, including school transport. It said that contracts need to be updated from time to time for this reason.

Mailey said the EA even asked the family if they could drive Maisie to school themselves and be paid back later. He said this was not possible because of work commitments, and he felt the problem was being pushed back onto parents unfairly. He also said that other parents had contacted him because they were dealing with the same issue. 'It should not be put back on us,' he said.

Mailey told reporters that the lack of communication from the EA was the most upsetting part of the whole situation. He said that if he had not made phone calls himself, he would have received no information at all. He described the situation as 'a disgrace' and said parents of children with special educational needs constantly face barriers when trying to get help. 'Communication has been shocking and it's hurtful as a father and deeply frustrating,' he said.

The EA released a statement saying it understands that changes to transport can be unsettling for children with special educational needs, especially those who rely on routine. It added that where a child needs an adult escort during the journey, one is provided to keep the child safe. BBC News NI asked the EA how many taxi contracts are currently out to tender and how many pupils across Northern Ireland are in a similar situation. The EA did not answer those questions.