The Children, Young People and Education Scrutiny Commission met to consider a call-in of an executive decision regarding post-16 special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) transport policies. The commission was scheduled to review the decision and determine whether to endorse, comment on, or withdraw the call-in. The original executive decision, made by Councillor Elaine Pantling ( Assistant City Mayor - Children and Young People), aimed to approve new policies for providing transport assistance to children and young people in education or training, with significant changes proposed for those aged 16 to 25 with SEND.

Call-in of Executive Decision: SEND Post-16 Transport

The main item for discussion was the call-in of an executive decision concerning proposed policies for post-16 SEND transport. The call-in was initiated by five councillors: Councillor Stephen Bonham, Councillor Dr Lynn Moore, Councillor Melissa March, and two other councillors. The councillors requested a review of the decision made by Councillor Elaine Pantling, Assistant City Mayor for Children and Young People, on 13 May 2025.

The basis for the call-in was that the commission had previously expressed concerns about the proposals within the draft policy and felt that the revised form required scrutiny oversight before a formal decision was made.

The commission was presented with three options:

• Note the report without further comment, allowing the call-in to be considered at a future full council meeting.

• Comment on specific issues raised by the call-in, which would also lead to further consideration at a full council meeting.

• Resolve that the call-in be withdrawn, which would halt the call-in process and allow the original decision to take immediate effect.

The report pack included several appendices providing detailed information:

• Executive Decision Report outlining the proposed policies.

• SEND Travel Policy for the 2025/26 academic year.

• Post-16 Transport Policy Statement for the 2025/26 academic year.

• Equality Impact Assessment.

• Additional Information providing further context to the proposals.

• Decision Notice.

The Executive Decision Report stated that the purpose of the new policies was to:

seek approval to new policies for the provision of transport assistance to children and young people in education or training. In certain important respects, the new policies make significant changes to the current policies, by reducing the level of support that will be provided to young people and adults (aged 16 to 25) who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The report noted that the council was facing a severe budgetary outlook and was seeking savings across all services. The proposed new policies aimed to reduce costs by £2.1 million per year by tightening the eligibility criteria for post-16 transport assistance. The new policy would require students to have complex SEND to qualify for assistance, primarily in the form of a personal transport budget¹.

The report also detailed the consultation process undertaken, which included an online survey and engagement with the Children, Young People and Education Scrutiny Commission. The consultation revealed a high level of concern over the proposals, with many respondents believing they should not be implemented. However, the council maintained that the budget position was extremely difficult and that the current level of discretionary support was hard to justify.

The report outlined the proposed new policies, which included the following key elements:

• Tightening the qualifying criteria for assistance, requiring complex SEND needs.

• Prioritising personal transport budgets as the primary form of support.

• Enhancing the independent travel training offer.

• Providing additional support in limited exceptional circumstances where failure to do so would lead to demonstrable financial hardship.

The report also addressed the legal and equalities implications of the proposals, noting that the council had a duty to ensure that young people with SEND had reasonable opportunities to access education and training. The Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) acknowledged that the new policies would have a disproportionate impact on young people with SEND and that there was a risk that some students would no longer be able to continue in education. The EIA outlined a number of mitigating actions, including enhancing travel training and providing additional support in exceptional circumstances.