Changes to school transport putting special needs son at risk, claims Cockfield mum

A CHANGE in school transport contracts is putting a young person with special needs at risk, it has been claimed.
Cockfield mum Lisa Wood claims drivers and escorts on the new bus scheme do not
have the training to tend to her son’s needs in an emergency. However, the county council says that all its drivers are required to meet “strict standards” which include undertaking the necessary training when requested by a parent or guardian.
Ms Wood has been taking her son, Matthew, to school  since September because she fears he will be at risk if she uses the county council’s transport.
The 18-year-old has severe complex needs and suffers from epilepsy. He has epileptic seizures every week.
Ms Wood said: “We’ve nearly lost Matthew so many times because of the epilepsy. In my eyes this all comes down to money – this is not about my son’s health or the risks to his health.”
For the past seven years, her son has been taken to The Oaks School, in Spennymoor, by the same contractor. They offered an escort who had been trained by Matthew’s nurse at Bishop Auckland hospital.
Ms Wood says the new contractor’s staff do not have the training and do not have the licence, nor insurance needed to transport Matthew’s emergency medication. She claims they simply could not implement her son’s epilepsy management plan in the case of an emergency.
She says there is not enough room on the bus to put Matthew in a recovery position if he has a seizure
She added: “The lady was open and honest with me and said she did not know anything about epilepsy.
“I had my concerns and she had her concerns. Sorry, I can’t let my son go with someone who has never seen an epileptic seizure.
“Durham County Council has spent thousands on flowers to make roundabouts look pretty and they spend thousands on a magazine that half of people don’t read, but they save money on a child’s life. They are putting his life in danger.”
She says that while the county council has offered to provide “awareness training” for the bus staff, this is not enough if her son has a life-threatening emergency.
Matthew’s seizures can last only a few minutes, but he has had a seizure that lasted 45 minutes and ended up with him being taken into emergency care. Ms Wood currently takes her son to school and has been offered cash for fuel by the council – but she says this will not work because Matthew does not adjust to change.
She said: “All I want is for Matthew to go to school on the same bus he has been on for the past seven years. He can’t deal with change. His behaviour has gone through the roof. It has affected him.”
Ms Wood said the county council should use the cash she has been offered for fuel to reinstate the previous arrangement.
Durham County Council’s strategic manager for school places and admissions, Sheila Palmerley, said: “Although we cannot comment on individual circumstances, where parents do get in touch with us, we will always work with them to try to address their concerns.
“We can confirm that all passenger assistants and drivers contracted by us are required to meet our strict standards for operating on home to school transport, which include undertaking the necessary training and when requested by a parent or guardian, carrying out home visits prior to the start of a contract so that they are well informed and familiar with the needs of the person they are transporting.
“When it is necessary to do so, we contact the relevant specialist health professionals who are able to advise our drivers and assistants further during their training on the unique nature of a client’s medical condition. In the case of a medical emergency all of our drivers and assistants are trained to call 999 as they cannot be insured to carry or issue medication.”
l A Race night is being held at the Kings Head pub, in Cockfield, in aid of The Oaks School on Saturday, November 19. The free event, organised by Lisa Wood whose son attends the school, begins at 8pm and includes bingo and a raffle. Another charity night organised by Ms Wood at the village workingmen’s club on October 15 had to be cancelled because of a family bereavement. Ms Wood said it will be held in the new year.