Multiserve

Assistance for special needs students can be provided in the form of a conveyance allowance, school bus service, or travel in a taxi, depending upon circumstances.

Eligibility
Before applying for a special needs conveyance allowance or a taxi please check with your school and make sure that you are eligible to apply.
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Entitlement 
The ability of different schools to support the individual needs of each child is different and some schools will be able to offer a more comprehensive standard of support than others. As a parent, you retain the right to choose which school to enrol your child at.  However, the transport entitlement is to the closest school capable of meeting the student’s needs. This is not necessarily the school which will provide the most personalized education for your child.  

SE Application form 
Once you have spoken to your principal about your eligibility, please print off a copy of the SE application form.This application form must be completed in full and signed by the parent (section A), the school (section B) then a GSE Service Manager (section c).

Applications for conveyance allowance must include a pre-printed or bank authorized deposit slip to verify the applicant's bank details. Once complete, the form needs to be ratified and passed to Multiserve. Student’s whose eligibility has changed (new address or school/satellite) need to submit this form.

Caregivers of a Non-Se child requiring school transport should refer to the General Transport section.

Change of information form
For a change of phone number, email address or time table you may fill in this form rather than complete a new application form. But if you have a change of address, school/satellite or caregiver you must complete a new application form.

Temporary Changes of Circumstance
Schools can now contact Service Agents directly in situations where a student currently receiving SESTA has a temporary change of circumstances.  A temporary change of circumstance is a finite change to existing and pre-approved special education school transport arrangements. This may include:
a)   Emergency situations where the student needs to change address due to   family or personal circumstances;
b)   A change of respite location due to a change of care arrangement or family / student circumstances

This temporary change of circumstances may last for up to twelve weeks and will be reviewed by Group Special Education and Service Agents prior to the end of the period.  This is a process, not policy change. It means that in the above situations schools and caregivers can go direct to Service Agents bypassing Group Special Education. It is intended to streamline processes and to reduce the approval times for schools and caregivers.

This process change does not apply to new SESTA applications, students who have moved residence permanently, students who have moved school or satellite class or to overcost applications. The process in these circumstances is unchanged.

Processing time
As with any change, it takes time to process new requirements.  New applications should be submitted as soon as possible to allow time for appropriate solutions to be put in place.  Authority sometimes has to be sought externally and we cannot confirm that transport can be provided until the process is complete - this is true for changes of address or school too, and existing recipients need to advise us prior to moving so that we can arrange transport from the new location.

Taxi drop-offs after school
If a parent is unable to make it home on time to meet with the taxi driver, they must make an attempt to contact the taxi company to make arrangements to collect their child/children.

If the taxi company is not notified by the parent that they are unable to make it home on time, the taxi driver must take action. The driver will do their best to contact the caregiver and then the child’s school to see if they can be returned to the school. If for any reason the driver can’t get in contact with the parent or school the child will be dropped of at the nearest police station for legal/safety reasons.  If there are any extra costs raised owing to a caregiver’s inability to receive their child from the taxi company at the appropriate time and place, the taxi company is within their rights to pass those costs to the caregiver.

Conveyance Allowance Payments
Payments are made to caregivers on the basis that the school returns the Special Education Attendance report back to Multiserve prior to our cut off time of Wednesdays 3:30pm.

To find out if you will be paid please ring the school/s your child/children attend and ask if they have returned the SE Attendance Report. If they have returned it you can expect a payment in to your account within 2 weeks of the day they submitted the report. Payments are cleared into your account on Saturday mornings.