Agenda item

Cabinet received a report that sought approval for the updated Home to School Transport Policy and associated Post-16 Transport Policy Statement, which incorporated a recommended option for payment and arrangement of transport for students aged 16-19 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

RESOLVED –

1.                  That the content of the Consultation Evaluation Report, draft Home to School Transport Policy and associated draft Post-16 Transport Policy Statement be agreed.

Note: In particular, this includes the recommendation for Option 2 – Choice of a Personal Transport Budget or Council organised transport as the proposed option for how transport for 16-19 year olds with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is arranged and paid for.

2.                  That the recommended annual fee for the Council organised transport element of Option 2 for post-16 SEND students be set at £900 for the 2021-22 academic year, and the reduced fee for demonstrated financial hardship be set at £600 for the 2021-22 academic year; both to be applied on a pro-rata basis according to the number of days travelled.

Anita Cranmer, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, and David Martin, Cabinet Member for Logistics, introduced the report and informed Members that the Council was required to have a published Home to School Transport Policy and an associated Post-16 Transport Policy Statement.

The Home to School Transport Policy set out the Council’s approach to providing transport to educational settings for 0 – 19 year olds (and up to 25 years for those with SEND).  The Policy aimed to ensure that pupils arrived at their education setting ready to learn.  The Post-16 Transport Policy Statement specified the arrangements for transport that the Council considered were necessary to facilitate the attendance of sixth form students receiving education or training.  The Statement was published in line with the statutory duties under the Education Act 1996.

The Policy and the Statement had both been reviewed and consulted on in 2018/2019. Changes had included the introduction of charging for transport for 16-18 year olds with SEND.  This took effect in the academic year 2019/20. Charges had been paused for the academic year 2020/21 due to the impact of Coronavirus, but under the current policy were set to continue from academic year 2021/22.   The Council had a statutory duty to consult annually on the Statement and publish it by 31 May each year.

A Policy Review had been initiated in Summer 2020 with the aim of improving information for parents and carers, taking into account feedback from families received over the last 12 months; and to seek views on options for transport arrangements for students aged 16-19 with SEND who were eligible for transport assistance.

A formal public consultation had been undertaken over eight weeks (12 October – 7 December 2020), using a best practice approach and methods.  The communications plan which supported the consultation had been extensive, robust and effective at raising awareness.  Having listened to feedback from families, the approach to how transport for 16-19 year olds with SEND was arranged and paid for was a key element of the consultation.

3 potential options had been set out in full in the consultation, and that would impact on approximately 250 young people in the 16 – 19 age group:

-                      Option 1: Distance banded charging model (Current Model).

-                      Option 2: Choice of a Personal Transport Budget or Council organised transport for an annual fee.

-                      Option 3: Personal Transport Budgets only (Council organised transport by exception).  Council organised transport for an annual fee only available by exception.

Cabinet was informed of the key themes arising from the consultation responses:

-                     A clear preference had been expressed for Option 2, and by the majority of overall respondents.

-                     Overall, the majority of respondents expressed that the proposed Home to School Transport Policy and proposed Post-16 Transport Policy Statement were felt to be partly or fully clear and easy to understand.

-                     Some sections of the proposed Policy and Statement were felt to be less clear and as a result, those highlighted areas have been reviewed carefully and amended appropriately with the aim of further improving clarity.

-                     Parents and carers had shown a preference towards wanting to have more choice and freedom to organise their own transport, although 28% of overall respondents were unsure of this, and 42% of overall respondents agreed on this.

The formal Consultation Evaluation Report was provided at Appendix 1.

Following the consultation, the proposed Policy and Statement had been updated and some clarifications made to both, to take account of feedback from families and to take into account the consultation feedback where possible.  This aimed to make the Policy and Statement easier for families to understand.  This had included clarification on the Spare Seats Scheme and the way that spare seat allocations were prioritised, to include key vulnerable groups as well as siblings.

The draft Post-16 Transport Policy Statement had been revised to incorporate the preferred recommendation from the consultation, Option 2 - Choice of an annual fee or Personal Transport Budget, for arrangement and payment of transport for eligible 16-19 year old students with SEND.  Option 2 provided choice and flexibility for families who wished to take up a Personal Transport Budget, whilst retaining Council organised transport for an annual fee as an alternative.  This option also met the consultation objectives of providing a better experience for families using home to school transport through providing more choice and flexibility in terms of transport arrangements; and also to support and promote increased independence for young people with SEND as they become young adults.

The revised and recommended Home to School Transport Policy and associated Post-16 Transport Policy Statement were attached as Appendices 2 and 3 respectively to the Cabinet report.

Members commented on the Policy and Policy Statement as follows:

-                     That this policy would fit well with the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Inclusion Strategy 2021-23, that had been approved by Cabinet on 2 March 2021.

-                     That the Cabinet Members and Service should be congratulated on the thorough consultations that had taken place.

-                     That it would be very important for the Policy to be communicated to parents, and in clear language that they understood.

Members were informed that should be Policy be agreed, that all parents would be directly contacted.  Full information would also be included on the Council’s website.

RESOLVED –

(1)               That the Consultation Evaluation Report, draft Home to School Transport Policy and associated draft Post-16 Transport Policy Statement be agreed.

(Note: In particular, this includes the recommendation for Option 2 (Choice of a Personal Transport Budget or Council organised transport) as the proposed option for how transport for 16-19 year olds with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is arranged and paid for.)

(2)               That the recommended annual fee for the Council organised transport element of Option 2 for post-16 SEND students be set at £900 for the 2021-22 academic year.  Further, the reduced fee for demonstrated financial hardship be set at £600 for the 2021-22 academic year; both to be applied on a pro-rata basis according to the number of days travelled.