Issue - meetings

Report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment

Cabinet Member:     Councillor Hoddinott

Commissioner:         Kenny (in advisory role)

Recommendations:

1.         That the Home to School Transport Policy 2018-19 be approved.

2.         That the Home to School Transport Assessment Matrix be approved.

3.         That approval be given to the introduction of a formal annual review of transport provision, which includes engagement with families.

4.         That an assessment of existing service users be conducted to review their circumstances to enable participation on a voluntary basis ahead of the introduction of the formal annual review;

5.         That approval be given to the introduction of a personal travel budget scheme to provide transport support to families of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

6.         That post-16 transport travel arrangements be revised to replace direct transport as a first option with personal travel budgets for those students with special educational needs and disabilities.

7.         That approval be given to the consideration of alternative methods of support for particular groups or individuals such as walking bus, cycle or moped schemes, when appropriate.

8.         That approval be given to the introduction of independent travel training as a central resource in Rotherham to support arrangements currently delivered by Special Schools for children from the age of 14+ to enable independence and that travel training commence from June 2018 for appropriate young people.

9.         That personal travel budgets for all students making new applications for post-16 travel be instigated from 1 July 2018, and existing users of the post-16 service are permitted to apply on a voluntary basis from 1 May 2018.

10.      That a transition period to validate the Transport Assessment Matrix be effective from 1 May 2018, with the full implementation of the policy for all new applicants with effect from 1 July 2018.

11.      That children and young people in need of home to school transport, and including transport operators, be engaged as part of the transition and implementation process.

12.      That any amendments to the Transport Assessment Matrix, resulting from the transition period, to be delegated to the Assistant Director for Community Safety and Street Scene.

Further to Minute No. 42 of the meeting of the Cabinet and Commissioners held on 11^th September, 2017, consideration was given to the report which provided the outcome of the consultation on the Home to School Transport Policy for Rotherham, including post-16 students and children with Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) and provides recommendations for the service provision.

The revised Home to School Transport Policy (Appendix 1) provided advice and guidance for families regarding the support available to them relating to a range of transport options for young people in Rotherham and would seek to develop and promote independent travel training as a central service in Rotherham and apply it particularly at transitional stages.

Any changes proposed to these services would ensure the continuation of suitable, safe, home to school travel assistance for eligible children in accordance with the Council’s statutory duties, taking into account an individual’s assessed needs. The policy must also contribute to the Council’s priority of ensuring every child had the best start in life.

Cabinet Members welcomed the proposed Policy, especially the transition to  independent travel training whilst complying with the statutory duty to transport children to and from school.

This report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as part of the pre-scrutiny process who were in support of the recommendations, subject to further investigation into the the cost/benefit feasibility of operating an in-house service for those requiring home to school transport rather than reliance on taxis and for a further report on the policy’s implementation being submitted to Improving Places Select Commission in six months’ time.

Councillor Hoddinott, Cabinet Member for Waste, Roads and Community Safety, was happy to initiate an investigation into operating an in-house home to school service as an operational alternative and where possible initiate efficiencies.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Home to School Transport Policy 2018-19 be approved.

(2)  That the Home to School Transport Assessment Matrix be approved.

(3)  That approval be given to the introduction of a formal annual review of transport provision, which includes engagement with families.

(4)  That an assessment of existing service users be conducted to review their circumstances to enable participation on a voluntary basis ahead of the introduction of the formal annual review;

(5) That approval be given to the introduction of a personal travel budget scheme to provide transport support to families of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

(6)  That post-16 transport travel arrangements be revised to replace direct transport as a first option with personal travel budgets for those students with special educational needs and disabilities.

(7)  That approval be given to the consideration of alternative methods of support for particular groups or individuals such as walking bus, cycle or moped schemes, when appropriate.

(8)  That approval be given to the introduction of independent travel training as a central resource in Rotherham to support arrangements currently delivered by Special Schools for children from the age of 14+ to enable independence and that travel training  ...  view the full minutes text for item 134

Consideration was given to a report which was due to be determined at the Cabinet and Commissioners’ Decision Making Meeting on 16 April 2018 in respect of the Home to School Transport Policy. The report outlined the outcome of the consultation on the Home to School Transport Policy for Rotherham, including post-16 students and children with Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) and provided recommendations for the service provision.

Members sought clarification as to who would provide the independent travel training. It was confirmed that the intention was to have an in-house independent travel training offer. It was confirmed that this was in place already and that some of the special schools in the borough also provided training themselves. It was noted that it could take over a year to train a young person to travel independently.  

In response to a query as to whether the recommendations for personal travel budgets were sufficient given the potential for a higher budget saving, it was explained that people can have access to personal travel budgets at an earlier stage if they wished. It was noted that individual circumstances would be subject to annual review and individual conversations would be needed to evaluate need.

Members advised that the service needed to learn from buddying schemes to ensure that people with learning disabilities were enabled to have the best life that they could have and be independent. In response, it was explained that officers had worked with some people who had been the most vocal in respect of previous issues, but change was required although it was recognised that a more transitional process would be appropriate. Wyatt – Buddying scheme need to learn from. Needs to be a desire that people with ld have the best life that they can have. Need to get them out independently where they can.

Assurances were sought that young people with mobility issues would automatically quality for home to school transport if they were in receipt of Personal Independent Payment because of a mobility issue. Officers gave an undertaking to respond on that point outside of the meeting.

Members expressed the view that the assessment matrix could be open to interpretation and queried who would decide whether a condition was moderate or mild and whether applicants would be required to supply evidence. It was confirmed that assessments were completed by the Corporate Transport Unit with information supplied from officers in Adult Care and Children’s Services. It was confirmed that the matrix model had been adopted by Middlesbrough BC and this was considered the most appropriate model for the borough.

In response to a query as to whether the trial period was long enough, it was explained that the service felt that it was sufficient and it would commence from 1 May 2018.

Members were supportive of the authority delivering training in-house and queried whether any modelling had taken place in respect of the cost to the Council of providing taxi services against what the private sector cost. It  ...  view the full minutes text for item 129