'I was too worried to use the bus before training'

"My parents are really proud of how far I've come," says Zak, who has a learning disability and can can now travel to college independently thanks to a training programme.

He is one of a growing number of teenagers receiving one-to-one support to help them use public transport to get to their place of study.

"I was really worried about crowding and [thinking] what if the bus is late or it's cancelled," says 16-year-old Eloise, who has autism.

"I struggled with my confidence getting on the bus," she said. "I was unsure about my route and how to get to the bus stop."

Earlier this year, Wiltshire Council voted to reduce the amount it spends on private taxi transfers for 16-19-year-olds with SEND, meaning more young people would have to rely on carers or public transport.

It was hoped the change would save the council £400,000 a year.

But it also expanded its travel training programmes, so more teenagers could learn the skills to use public transport independently.

Zoe Rankin, who leads the Intensive Travel Training programme, said: "For some, the alternative really now is to ask for that parental support and that's not always a viable option for families.

"But it also doesn't give the young person the chance to explore their own independence."

During the last academic year, the scheme supported four young people. Since expanding in September, 18 teenagers have been through the programme, with 21 more due to follow.

Zak, 18, received help when he was at secondary school.

"I'm not a big people person. My concern was the bus being really busy," he said.

He now travels to college by himself, and has learned to drive, making his parents proud.

The trainers take the bus with the young people to and from college, until they feel safe and confident to travel by themselves.

For some, they will be met at their front door by a trainer who will show them to a bus stop, help with understanding timetables, tickets, and how to ask for help if something goes wrong.

All of the young people have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) due to having autism, Asperger's or a learning or sensory disability.

"The young people we're working with are very vulnerable," said Rankin. "The speed at which our young people learn and process means they are not always able to see things in a clear way."

Sixteen-year-old Deanna said: "I used to feel nervous because of the other people on the bus".

She was taught how to make her journey to college by herself, and said one day she would like to use the bus to socialise in her spare time.

Rankin said often learning to travel without a parent or carer can open up confidence in other areas of the young person's life.

"You meet someone and they can barely say hello and are facing so many challenges. It's a massive transformation and it's wonderful to see".

Local authorities are not legally obligated to provide free or subsidised transport to education settings for children after they are 16, and as councils face budget pressures, many are reducing what they offer.

Swindon Council has consulted on reducing its provision.

Wiltshire Council's Community Connecting services run a range of travel training options, including helping young people to move safely as pedestrians in rural areas.

"There's noise, busy-ness, lots of people, changing weather," says the scheme's manager Marnie Kemp.

She said the changes to post-16 SEND transport provision were worrying for some parents, but that it could give some young people the chance to increase their independence.

"The council have seen the value of what we're doing," she said. "If that means there's less of a need for other services, that's a wonderful byproduct".

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