Every January, operators delivering SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) home-to-school transport face the same challenge: a sudden and often critical shortage of suitable drivers.

The festive break brings a natural reset, but it also exposes a structural issue in the sector. When schools return, demand resumes instantly — yet driver availability rarely does.

‍

Why SEND Drivers Are So Hard to Source

SEND drivers are not generalist drivers. The requirements are specific, and the barriers to entry are high:

• D1 licence with no 101 restriction – significantly reducing the available driver pool
• Enhanced DBS checks, often including barred list checks, which can take weeks or even months
• Experience working with vulnerable children and young people, where safeguarding and consistency are critical
• A strong understanding of specialist routes, passenger needs, and assisted transport environments

By January, operators needing drivers quickly often find themselves stuck waiting on compliance checks or competing in an already depleted market.

‍

The Post-Holiday Drop-Off Problem

Another common pattern we see every year is a drop-off in dedicated home-to-school drivers after school holidays. Many drivers rely on consistent income. When work pauses during half terms or longer breaks, some understandably look elsewhere for full-time or year-round roles. By the time January arrives, operators may find that drivers they relied on before Christmas are no longer available. This creates a perfect storm wherein routes restart immediately, with absences and sickness spiking, causing fewer experienced SEND drivers to be available at short notice.

‍

How DrivenPeople Supports the January Rush

At DrivenPeople, we take a proactive approach rather than a reactive one. Instead of scrambling to source drivers in January, we continuously build and maintain a pool of SEND-approved drivers across multiple regions. These drivers are:

• Fully compliance-checked, including Enhanced DBS
• Experienced in home-to-school and SEND transport
• Ready to step in at short notice for sickness, holidays, or emergency cover
• Available for longer-term temp-to-perm placements, ensuring continuity on established routes

Because drivers are already vetted and onboarded, operators can access cover quickly without compromising safeguarding or service quality.

‍

Retention Through Consistent Work

One of the key reasons our SEND driver retention is so high is simple: we keep drivers earning. Even when drivers are placed into longer-term home-to-school assignments, we actively support them with additional work during school holidays wherever possible. In fact, over 90% of our home-to-school drivers secure holiday work through DrivenPeople, whether that’s other transport contracts or compatible driving roles. This approach benefits all, with drivers able to maintain steady income year-round, operators retaining familiar, experienced drivers, routes restarting smoothly after every school break and happy drivers choosing to stay - consistency matters enormously in SEND transport.

‍

Preparing for January Starts Now

January pressures are predictable — which means they’re also preventable.

Operators who plan ahead by building a reliable pool of SEND drivers are far better placed to:

• Manage sickness and absence
• Maintain safeguarding standards
• Avoid last-minute route disruption
• Retain experienced staff long-term

At DrivenPeople, that’s exactly what we help operators do.

‍

If you’re planning for new SEND contracts, recovering from post-holiday drop-off, or simply want peace of mind heading into the next school term, building your driver pool early makes all the difference.

‍