Purpose

The report outlines the issues facing the Council relating to home to school travel and transport for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The reports seeks permission to go out to public consultation on amending the policy to implement a higher proportion of personal budgets to support travel to school.

Decision

That it be DETERMINED that:

1. Consultation is undertaken between 2 January 2024 and 9 February 2024 on amendments to the home to learning transport policy for students aged 16 – 19 or 16 – 25 with an EHCP in further education as set out in Appendix 2. 
2. That the proposed amount of personal transport budgets as set out in section 9 of this report form part of the consultation.

1. A decision report on the outcome of the consultation is considered by the Executive Cabinet of the Council in March 2024.

Reasons for the decision

New statutory guidance on travel to school for children of compulsory school age was issued by the Department for Education in June 2023.  There have been no changes to the eligibility criteria for support with home to school transport with this new guidance but there have been some clarifications to wording which are reflected in a proposed 4 – 16 home to school transport policy.  This report outlines those clarifications and recommends a consultation with a wide range of stakeholders on the proposed 4 – 16 policy.  The report also proposes a consultation to amend how discretionary support provided to young people with an Education Health and Care Plan in post 16 learning receive support with home to school transport.  The proposal is to provide every eligible young person with a personal transport budget to enable families to commission their own transport support to meet their individual needs. 

The new Department for Education guidance requires local authorities to consult widely on any changes to home to school transport policies and this report seeks permission to consult with a range of stakeholders on the 4 – 16 and post 16 home to school transport policies.