Agenda item

To consider the enclosed presentation detailing an overview of the Home to School Service which was due for consideration by OSMB on 14 January 2025.

Consideration was given to a presentation by the Assistant Director for Community Safety and Street Scene and supported by the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services and the Assistant Director of Education which detailed an overview of the Home to School Transport Service.

The presentation drew attention to: -

·            Statutory Duties

v   Policy guidance.

v   ‘Home to School Travel and Transport Guidance’ 2014 updated June 2023 (DfE).

v   ‘Statutory guidance for local authorities for Post-16 travel support to education and training’, revised January 2019 (DfE).

v   SEND Code of Practice.

·            Home to School Service Overview

v   Home to school sits as part of Regeneration and Environment with Education and Health Care Planning (EHCP) and processes in Children and Young Peoples Services.

v   Mix of EHCP and Statutory Travellers in the cohort.

v   Direct travel solutions and commissioned solutions.

v   Independent Travel Training (ITT) Offer.

v   Services are also provided to Adults.

v   Mixture of solutions including ITT, Personal Travel Budgets, Zoom Zero Bus Pass, Shared Transport and Single Occupancy.

·            Cohort Overview

1805 Children and Young People receive home to school transport.

1241 are children with an EHCP.

v   Children attending their nearest suitable school which is more than the statutory walking distance. (NAS).

v   Unable to walk because of SEND (EHCP).

v   From low-income households.

v   Children in Care who don’t have an EHCP (LAC).

v   Children/ Young People outside of compulsory school age including under 5’s and 16+ (DISC).

·            Budget Overview

·            Demand Overview

·            Actions to date

Since 2018/19, a series of actions have been taken which include:

v   Separation of the Transport function under a new Head of Service role to provide greater focus

v   Development of data and understanding of the transport cohort

v   Driving cost efficiencies through improved logistics planning

v   Reviewing single occupancy journeys

v   Introducing an Independent Travel Training offer

v   Benchmarking with other local authorities

v   Strengthening of the application process

v   Reducing the conversion rate of young people with an EHCP who require transport

v   Review and implementation of Policy.

·            Impact

v   Benchmarking shows Rotherham largely performs well with a need to focus on post 16

v   13 Candidates successfully travel trained providing vital skills and reducing cost, programme growing

v   Whilst demand increases the proportion of single occupancy routes decreases

v   Reduction in the growth of 16-19 costs

v   Significant cost avoidance.

·            Future Plans

v   Continuing to manage demand and delivery as efficiently and effectively as possible

v   Review of Post 16-19 and Post 19-25 transport offer

v   IT solutions improvements (incorporating route optimisation software)

v   Ensuring delivery is appropriately supported to drive efficiencies

v   Review of transport operator procurement arrangements.

A discussion and a question-and-answer session ensued, and the following issues were raised and clarified: -

·       Independent travel training would not be appropriate for all of the children receiving home to school transport. This would consider factors such as age, ability, and willingness. Some children with education health and care plan (EHCP) may not be suitable due to their additional needs. Independent travel training took a large period of time, to build up the young person’s confidence and skills.

·       One of the biggest factors to the increase costs was the increase in demand for the service, with the entitlements listed in EHCP’s being a factor. Other factors such as inflation in fuel prices had a direct impact on the service along with the provision of additional support as defined within the Education Act.

·       A large amount of work was being carried out with colleagues from the Children and Young People’s Directorate to improve staff training, improved the clarity of information available and developed joint working around decision making and the use of data to shift practices.

·       Where appropriate individuals had been moved to a parental personal travel budget whereby, they drove the individual to school and reclaimed costs rather than the Council providing transport. It was noted that all options to support travel arrangements were considered.

·       The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People was assured that the work undertaken around optimisation of routes, single occupancy, personal transport budgets and independent travel training meant the Council was in a much better place than previously.

·       It was noted that a resident was impressed with the independent travel training, they had expressed concern that they would lose some support but now feel that they had gained through this training.

·       It was agreed that information would be provided regarding a query on the budget overview presented where it was believed that the budget was reduced in 2024/25 compared with 2023/24, in terms of the change from 5,762,051 down to 5,658,734.

·       In response to a query regarding the information provided regarding the Council’s statistical neighbours, which was detailed on the slide titled Impact, it was clarified that this information was lifted directly from the Department for Education (DfE) and was correct at the time it was created for last month’s OSMB meeting, given that this item had been deferred from that meeting.

Resolved: That the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board:

1.      Noted the contents of the presentation.

2.      Agreed that information would be provided to OSMB to clarify the budget positions in relation to the 2024/25 and 2023/24 budget years.