PARENTS of children with special education needs say they are pleased that Monmouthshire council has amended the transport policy but say more needs to be done to improve the application process.

The Argus previously reported in September that 32 students between 16 and 19-years-old across the county with special educational needs saw council-provided transport to their colleges discontinued just before the start of the school year.

All eight parents who appealed have now been offered transport by the council, four of which is on a concessionary basis.

At a full council meeting last week, a motion was approved to amend the SEN transport policy to make sure parents will be informed of the council’s decision on whether transport is granted to their children earlier than the mere days they had in the run-up to this academic year.

The motion also stated that the authority must officially recognise that young people with a mental disability also have a medical need and should be treated the same way as young people with a physical disability.

Kate Kronenbach, of Caldicot, is the mother of Sophie, 18, who has autism, and has now been successful at receiving transport to Nash College.

She said: "I am pleased with the improvement on the policy. I hope the changes will be enough and hope the council will follow through with it -no one needs the stress we've had with all these issues."

"The application forms were very confusing - I had them sent back to me and had to fill them out again. The documentary evidence which I supplied was a paediatrician supporting letter but that wasn't accepted."

The council is also looking at forming a steering committee for SEN transport which could potentially have parents represented on the committee.

Gwilym Williams, of Queen's Road, Bulwark, whose son Dafydd, 17, who has ADHD and Asperger’s syndrome was at first denied transport to Coleg Gwent, Newport, but the teenager has since been offered concessionary provision.

Mr Williams said: "We need to think about going forward and coming together to do this. The idea of a steering committee with a few parents and social service representatives would be a way forward - there needs to be an understanding of the different needs of the children.

"If you have 20 children with ADHD and note down their symptoms it would be hard to find two with the same symptoms.”

He added: "There was mass breakdown of communication - the original committee didn't understand the term special education needs it covers a very wide area. The forms were tick boxes with a box for any additional info - every child is different."

Sarah McGuinness, chief officer for children and young people, said: “Although the application form and process have remained unchanged for many years, we have received constructive feedback about where improvements can be made. With that in mind, we are currently reviewing the post16 SEN Policy, application process and forms.

“The application forms are being redesigned in conjunction with SNAP, the national inclusive charity, who will be involving parent groups in the design process”.