A Leicestershire family have been left devastated after thinking a two year school placement battle for their autistic child had finally come to an end, only to be left with a transport dilemma.
Emma Carvell, 37, has been fighting Leicestershire County Council to help find a specialist primary school for her son Lewis Massey, 5, who has autism and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH).
The process began back in June 2021 when Ms Carvell managed to get Leicestershire County Council to put a new school on Lewis' EHCP - a legally binding document which sets out a child’s needs and how the council will support them - which they feel can meet his needs.
However, the council insisted on two other schools for Lewis but Ms Carvell said both were unsuitable as they did not have SEMH specific settings.
The family finally secured placement at a third school, but one of the original two schools remained on Lewis' EHCP, which caused more issues for the family. Lewis is entitled to council-funded home to school transport because of his complex needs.
As reported by LeicestershireLive, the family received an email stating that if they wanted to send Lewis to their preferred school it would be at their own expense - which would cost around £14,000 a year.
This is because the original school is deemed as the closest appropriate school to the family, despite a 0.6 mile difference, according to the council.
Ms Carvell said: "There was lots of tears [when we got the email]. I just felt this overwhelming feeling of sickness again.
"I saw the email at 7.30pm and I was still sending emails at 1am that night just trying to find out where I needed to go from this, what do I do, who do I speak to. It just overwhelms you. It has consumed me for two years and now I feel it’s consuming me again."
She added: "I can’t get him there and back. It’s just not possible. I wouldn’t be able to go to work and take my other son to school as well. It’s like £14,000 for a taxi and a chaperone. How are we meant to afford that?
"So we’re back to what we’ve been fighting against for two years - Lewis going to a school we still feel cannot meet needs. We thought we’d finally got everything resolved and we could move forward with this."
Children and young people with SEMH have difficulties in managing their emotions and behaviour and Ms Carvell insists the school which the authority has recommended does not meet such criteria.
She concluded: "It’s comparing apples and pears, really. I’m not asking for the same setting further away, I’m asking for a very different provision.
"I want them to accept that actually they’d be transporting him to a school, that yes is our preference, but actually that can meet his needs much better. It’s a school that is an autism specialist, communications specialist setting."
A spokesman for Leicestershire County Council said: "Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, we are aware of this case and are working with the parent to find a solution."
