Are children safe on Haringey SEND transport?

  • By Brian Leveson
  • •
  • 16 May, 2022
  • •

January 2022, I had a heated email exchange with the Haringey SEND transport department about their useless risk assessments

18th January 2022 14:09 hrs -  I am alarmed, but no where are the words 'risk assessment' mentioned

From: 
Sent: 18 January 2022 14:09
Subject: Haringey School Transport Passenger Profile
 

Dear Parent/ Carer,

As a service, we aim to cater to the specific needs of each child. In order to do this effectively, we require as much information as possible about the passengers who use our home to school travel assistance provisions. Passenger Transport Services (PTS) have therefore devised a ‘one page travel profile’, in which parents can let us know more about their child.

We ask you as a parent/ carer to fill out the attached profile for your child and return it to school.transport@haringey.gov.uk. We will verify the information you provide within the profile with schools and other healthcare professionals to ensure the passenger’s medical/ behavioural needs are met.

If you require any assistance with the form, or require a paper copy, please let us know via the above email address or call the PTS team on the numbers in the ‘Contact’ section of https://www.haringey.gov.uk/children-and-families/local-offer/5-15-year-olds/school-transport

Kind Regards,

SEND Transport Manager

14:24 hrs

Dear SEND Transport Manager

No attachment

Regards,

The attachment

So, a parents is asked to sign in agreement the following statement

I (parent) certify that this information is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I am aware that my child is being supported by medically untrained passenger attendants who will call an ambulance if emergency treatment is required. I will inform the Haringey Transport Team by email (school.transport@haringey.gov.uk) of any changes in my child’s conditions. 

And the school declares the following

I (school) confirm that the details contained in this Risk Assessment are accurate to the best of my knowledge. I will inform the Haringey Transport Team by email (school.transport@haringey.gov.uk) of any changes in this child’s conditions.

No where are parents informed that this paperwork is a 'risk assessment'!

15:23 hrs - cc. Cllrs Brabazon, Ahmet and Palmer

Dear Transport Manager

Regarding the attached document.

I am asked to sign and certify the document as "A risk assessment".

It is not clear from the covering email, nor the form its self that this form constitutes a risk assessment.

Is this the risk assessment that is required as part of the DFE Home to School Transport Guidance?

Is this the risk assessment identified as being required as part of the recent Transport Learning Review.

I would expect any communication regarding risk assessments to be clearly identified as risk assessment.

Please can you clarify.

Regards,

15:25 hrs - to SENDIASS

Dear SENDIASS,

The communications below concern me

Regards,

The next day - 13:58 hrs - cc. Cllrs Brabazon, Ahmet and Palmer

Dear  

The idea is for the profile to act as a source of information for all of the members of the transport team, so we can put the right provisions in place for each child. It could therefore be considered a ‘risk assessment’ as it will allow those who know the children best i.e. parents and schools, to inform us of their specific needs and how we as a service can meet them.

The one page profile will be one of many sources of information that will contribute towards a child’s risk assessment, as described in guidance. We will use information from a variety of sources such EHCPs, schools, care workers, parents etc., as well as the profile, to formulate a comprehensive picture of a child’s need.

This is not a direct outcome of the learning review but a general improvement we are attempting to make within the service.

Please let me know if there is anything else you may need.

Kind Regards,

SEND Transport Manager

14:43 hrs - cc. Cllrs Brabazon, Ahmet and Palmer

Dear Transport Manager

This is not an acceptable response.

Is this form a risk assessment?

Not "could be considered a risk assessment", but an actual risk assessment as required by the Home to School Guidance?

I am not signing something that "could" be a risk assessment, to do so would put my child at risk as I do not fully know the legal scope of the document.

My understanding is the department already has the information requested and I have been operating on that basis. I have had assurance from Mary Jarrett that the information is already on his 'Mission profile'.

You appear to be either duplicating information held elsewhere or asking others to share information with you without our explicit permission eg EHCPs, schools, care workers etc.

Regards,

14:54 hrs - SENDIASS and Markfield

Dear both,

This is a worrying response.

Is it a risk assessment or not?

Regards,

15:10 hrs - Cllr Brabazon, Ahmet and Palmer included

Dear 

I’m sorry you feel that way but I feel that my response is acceptable. I explained that the profile will form a part of a wider risk assessment using other sources of information and it can therefore be considered a risk assessment.

We do have information on each child, however this an opportunity for parents to provide us with additional information that may be useful. The more information we have, the better service we can provide.

Kind Regards,

SEND Transport Manager

15:17 hrs  - Cllrs Barabazon, Ahmet and Palmer included

Dear SEND Transport Manager

This is not about my feelings

Your initial response was it 'could' be considered as risk assessment.

Now you are saying it is part of a wider risk assessment.

That clarity is important.

As you are now saying that it IS part of a risk assessment you need to clearly communicate this with all parties. Parents need to know that this form is part of a wider risk assessment regarding risks to their disabled children.

In addition, duplicating information already held is not complying with the GDPR which requires you to hold the minimum amount of information to carry out your functions.

Regards,

15:17 hrs - to the Assistant Director for SEND cc Head teacher

Dear AD for SEND

It is important to me as the parent of a severely disabled child that I know how risks about my child are assessed.

This is not about my feelings.

It is about my duty to safeguard my child and understand the safeguarding that others are undertaking when loco in parentis.

I have been sent a form that referred to a risk assessment at the bottom of the page. At no other point were risk assessments referred to.

Asking for clarification I was told it "could" be a risk assessment.

When pressed for further clarification I was told.it is part of a wider "risk assessment".

Specifically, I would like to if this is a risk assessment as required by the DFE Home to School Transport Guidance. If so, I would like this clearly communicated to me.

Happy to make a formal complaint, if that is what is required.


Regards,

A formal complaint was made, but never responded to ref HC-13246411

I have been asked to complete a "profile" of my child but at the end of the document reference is made to a risk assessment. Requesting clarification I was told it "could" be a risk assessment and is part of a wider risk assessment.

I would like clarification if this is a risk assessment for SEND school transport as required by the DFE Home to School Transport Guidance.

I would like to know if this form duplicates information already held on the "mission" system, as I have previously been assured that this information was on the "mission" system and if this is then compliant with GDPR.

How the Difficult Parent sees it...

This to me appears like a classic case of the SEND transport officers and the wider the department adopting the view that the parent knows nothing ... 

My expectations of what a risk assessment would look like include
  • Clearly communicating to the person filling the form in that it is a risk assessment
  • Identifying risks and causes of potential harm
  • Identify who might be harmed and how
  • Mitigate against the risks
  • Possibly rate the probability of harm being cause - with and without mitigation
  • Identify who is responsible and when the action is required to be done by
  • keep a proper record
  • Get parents to review the risk assessments
  • Get professionals to review the risk assessment
And well, what do you know - the Health and Safety Executive have a template for risk assessments (looking nothing like the SEND transport form)

Example of a Risk assessment template (from the Health and Safety Executive)

Now, what was it Peray said ... ... 

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