Skip to main content

6. The Decision Review Process

Page last updated

The Decision Review process

  1. The Council has a two stage home to school travel assistance review process for parents who wish to challenge a decision about: 

- Their child’s eligibility; 

- The type of assistance arrangements offered; 

- The distance measurement; 

- The safety of the proposed route.

  1. During a review of the outcome of an initial application, travel assistance will not be provided to your child. Where the review concerns a change to assistance arrangements for a child who has previously been assessed as eligible for the same journey, the previously agreed travel arrangements will continue. 

Stage One

  1. You have 20 working days from receipt of the Council’s home to school travel assistance decision to make a written request asking for a review of the decision.

  2. The written request should detail why you believe the decision should be reviewed.

  3. Within 5 working days of receiving the request to review, the Council will acknowledge the receipt of the request and confirm the expected timescale for review and response. 

  4. Within 20 working days of receipt of the written request, a senior officer will review the original decision and send you a detailed written outcome setting out the nature of the decision reached, detailed reasoning for how the decision was reached, and information about escalation to stage two if appropriate. 

Stage Two

  1. You have 20 working days from receipt of the Council’s stage one decision to make a written request to escalate the matter to stage two. 

  2. Within 5 working days of receiving the request to review, the Council will acknowledge the receipt of the request and confirm the expected timescale for review and response. 

  3. Within 40 working days, an appeal panel will consider written and verbal representations from you and officers and will review the original decision. They will send you a detailed written outcome setting out the nature of the decision reached, detailed reasoning for how the decision was reached, and information about escalation to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if appropriate. 

  4. The appeal panel members will be independent of the original decision making process to date, and suitably experienced to ensure a balance is achieved between meeting the needs of the child and the Council, and that road safety requirements are complied with. 

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

  1. There is a right of complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if you  consider that there was a failure to comply with the procedural rules or if there are any other irregularities in the way the appeal has been handled.

View the next page here.

View the previous page here.