TAGS IAG

No major new Merseyside policy or provider changes were found since 26 October. The main changes are time-based: deadlines for free meal checks, high-needs places and bursary claims, and several transition events in the next fortnight.

Local position

Liverpool: no new eligibility change. The 2026/27 SEND post-16 transport offer still requires individual assessment and carries a £680 annual contribution, reduced to £340 for qualifying low-income families. It directs families to explore Merseytravel and bursary help first. Supported internships are still described publicly as EHCP routes, although Liverpool's limited non-EHCP pilot continues. They normally require an EHCP, so ask about the pilot individually.

Knowsley: no substantive change found. The council's public post-16 transport pages still display 2025/26, so that policy should not be treated as confirmed for 2026/27. Families are advised to obtain a current written assessment.

Sefton: the 2026–28 post-16 policy remains current, with individual assessment and nearest suitable placement considerations. Sefton's Preparing for Adulthood guide is still being updated following the creation of its dedicated adult transitions team, so use the live webpage and named services rather than an older downloaded guide.

St Helens: no policy change found. Separate post-16 and post-19 applications remain required, and the council links to its transport policy statement. Existing hired services include routes to Carmel College, St Helens College and Activate, but these are not an automatic entitlement.

Halton and Riverside: the 2026/27 SEND travel policy remains current. Halton's live bus pages confirm services including 44 Wavertree–Riverside Kingsway and 41/41A Castlefields–Riverside–Cronton. Timetable suitability should still be checked against the learner's actual campus and attendance pattern.

EHCP and parent guidance

There is no immediate legal change, and current EHCP duties continue. For September 2027 school to post-16 transfers, the amended final plan naming provision remains due by 31 March 2027 (SEND Code of Practice).

At reviews and provider visits, families should ask for:

• the exact course, campus, weekly timetable and whether the offer is full-time
• the provision needed to achieve employment, independence, community and health outcomes
• travel assessment evidence, including why the placement is the nearest suitable option
• travel training, personal budget or commissioned transport alternatives
• named learning support, transition visits and funding dependencies
• bursary, free meal and equipment or travel application deadlines

Key updates for post-16 SEND transitions: bursary claim window opens today, some college places remain on waiting lists, and Sefton families face a potential transport delay if applications were late.

16–19 Bursary Fund — claim window is now open

If your young person has significant costs related to their college course — travel, equipment, childcare — they may be eligible for support from the DfE 16–19 Bursary Fund.

The main claim window is now open until 11 November 2026. Most institutions submit claims during this window.

If your young person attends a maintained special school: your school will submit the claim on your behalf through your local authority. If your school has not mentioned bursary support yet, it's worth asking them directly.

Important note: the bursary is based on your young person's actual costs and your family's financial circumstances — not an automatic £1,200 award. Even if your young person has an EHCP, you'll need to show genuine financial need.

College places update — expect waiting lists in some areas

Hugh Baird College: Places remain limited and some courses are still on waiting lists (including Motor Vehicle and Level 3 Beauty Therapy). If you applied before 4 June, you should have received an enrolment appointment by now. If not, contact the college directly. If your young person is on a waiting list, keep planning alternatives as a backup.

KCC/St Helens College: Construction courses are oversubscribed this September. Check availability directly with the college before applying — these courses are not using the standard pre-enrolment form.

SEND Transport — important Sefton deadline

If your young person lives in Sefton and starts post-16 education this September:

SEND travel applications should have been submitted by 15 May 2026. Late applications will not be processed until October when the Travel Support Assessment Panel reopens — this could mean a significant delay in travel support being arranged.

Before Sefton can arrange transport, they need:

• confirmation of your young person's education setting, and
• their timetable.

Once you've provided this information, setting up suitable support can take up to 25 working days (longer for complex cases).

If you're in Sefton with a late application: contact Sefton Travel Support immediately to confirm your young person's setting and timetable. Until agreed travel support begins, your family remains responsible for arranging travel.

Liverpool SEND transport — no change

Liverpool's existing SEND transport arrangements continue as before. SEND students aged 16–18 with an EHCP can apply for SEND travel support. Students aged 19–25 should request an Adult Social Care assessment.

Merseytravel Disabled Person's Pass

Applications for a Disabled Person's Pass continue to be processed within four weeks. More complex cases or those requiring an assessment may take longer. Once approved, allow up to 10 days for postal delivery.

Greenbank transition — term starts today

Greenbank opens its autumn transition programme this week. Confirmed dates:

• 12 November, 5–7pm — Foundation Transition Evening
• 26 November, 5–7pm — Open Evening
• 10 December, 4:30–6:30pm — Vocational Transition Evening

Greenbank is also planning a Supported Internship Recruitment Event (date to be confirmed). Keep an eye on their website for details.

Liverpool Supported Internships

Supported internships in Liverpool are available to young people aged 16–24 with SEND and an EHCP. Placements typically last 6–12 months with job-coach support. If you're interested, you can register interest through Liverpool City Council's SEND information pages.

No major changes this week to EHCP law or Liverpool's core post-16 SEND transport policy, but several practical updates as colleges start the 2026/27 year.

Hugh Baird — waiting lists have expanded

Hugh Baird is still accepting September applications, but its application page now shows a noticeably broader range of courses on waiting lists. These include Art & Design Levels 2 and 3, Beauty Therapy Level 3, Bricklaying Level 1, Business Level 3, and Carpentry & Joinery Levels 2 and 3, plus several Connect pathways including Building Services, Carpentry & Joinery, and Health & Social Care.

For EHCP learners, the college continues to ask families to liaise with their local-authority SEN caseworker and have the plan sent to its EHCP team as a matter of urgency. It also stresses that applying is not the same as enrolling, and that places are not guaranteed.

Why it matters: the pressure is no longer confined to a few popular vocational areas. Entry and foundation-style pathways are affected too, which is particularly relevant for special-school leavers.

Action: check every Hugh Baird destination for actual enrolment status, rather than relying on an offer or an application.

Knowsley Community College — term has started

KCC's 2026/27 autumn term began on Tuesday 1 September. Its published late-enrolment sessions finished on 27 August, and the college continues to stress that enrolment is the final step in securing a place.

Action: any student who still believes they are going to KCC but has not completed enrolment should contact the college directly, rather than turning up and expecting the original offer to stand.

Greenbank — vocational transition date confirmed

Greenbank's live events listing now confirms:

• 7 September — students return
• 12 November, 5–7pm — Foundation Transition Evening
• 26 November, 5–7pm — Open Evening
• 10 December, 4:30–6:30pm — Vocational Transition Evening

This resolves the earlier "date to be confirmed" position for the vocational event.

TAGS action: add 10 December to the autumn transition and open-events information.

Merseytravel — processing guidance has improved

Merseytravel's current Disabled Person's Travel Pass guidance now says it aims to process applications within four weeks. If further information or an assessment is needed it may take longer, and successful applicants should then allow up to 10 days for Royal Mail delivery. That is more favourable than the six-week processing warning previously circulated. The pass remains free to apply for.

Liverpool Citizen Portal — offline Thursday 3 September

Liverpool City Council has announced essential maintenance to its Citizen Portal on Thursday 3 September. Online services including school travel support, free school meals and admissions will be unavailable, with access expected to return on Friday 4 September.

Practical advice: families needing to submit travel-related applications should avoid leaving them until Thursday.

Bursary — claim window opens Monday 7 September

The updated DfE 2026/27 bursary guidance confirms that the first vulnerable-group bursary claim window opens on Monday 7 September and closes on 11 November 2026. Maintained special schools cannot submit these claims directly — their local authority submits on their behalf.

One useful clarification for SEND casework: institutions can provide temporary emergency meal or travel support in cases of severe hardship before completing the usual full household-income checks, provided this is later properly assessed and recorded. That could help where a learner starts college but a transport or bursary issue is unresolved.

For students aged 19+, an individual with an EHCP can qualify for a discretionary 16–19 bursary, though not the defined-vulnerable-group bursary solely on the basis of age or having an EHCP.

Supported internships — no new referral route yet

Liverpool continues to accept expressions of interest in supported internships for 16–24-year-olds with SEND, combining college enrolment, workplace placements and job-coach support.

No new public referral route has appeared this week for the previously identified non-EHCP pilot, so it should still not be advertised as generally available.

Greenbank is meanwhile recruiting a Supported Internship Employability Tutor, a role connected to its transition-to-work programme and Liverpool City Council-hosted internships, which suggests the provision remains active for 2026/27.