Parents of children in Swindon eligible for help from the council with getting to school will be offered their own personal travel budget.

In the new SEND travel-to-school policy adopted this week by the council’s cabinet it is the authority’s first choice to provide parents of children with disabilities and special needs who qualify for help with a budget they can spend to make arrangements that best suit them.

That could be used for covering public transport costs, or the cost of a parent driving their child to school or making arrangements for another child so a parent can accompany an eligible child, making arrangements with other parents, or even hiring a travel assistance to help the child.

Such a budget will only be made after an assessment of need, however. And if the child is able to walk safely to school, with an accompanying responsible adult, for up to two miles for younger children and three miles for those aged between eight and 16.

In adopting the policy council leader Councillor Jim Robbins said it was similar enough to the previous policy that a public consultation had not been needed.