Issue - decisions

Date of Decision:

6^th August 2026

Title:

Post-16 Travel Assistance Annual Policy Statement 2026/27 (Annual Review and Update)

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Sam Barstow, Service Director Community Safety and Street Scene

Details of Specific Delegation

or

Delegation contained in the relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.

The Regeneration and Environment sub-scheme of

delegation grants the Service Director the following authority:

To discharge the duties in relation to school transport

contained in Chapter II (ancillary functions of local

authorities) of Part IX (ancillary functions) of the Education

Act 1996.

And to Execute the Council’s Home to School Policy and

where appropriate grant or refuse supported transport

provision. Flex the in-house home to school transport fleet

and service function, and externally contracted resource,

ensuring service demands are met.

Page 33 refers.

Decision:

The decision required is to approve the updated Travel Assistance Policies and Post-16 Travel Assistance Policy Statement for publication to ensure compliance with statutory duties.

Reasons for the Decision:

This decision is required to ensure that the Local Authority remains fully compliant with its statutory duty to annually review, update and publish a Post 16 Policy Statement (for Travel Assistance).

Decisions made in accordance with this policy have a considerable impact on the Council’s financial resources. Given the statutory duty to provide travel assistance to eligible children and young people resident in Rotherham, it is essential that the policy is clear, up-to-date and applied consistently to ensure transparent, robust and defensible decision-making.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

No alternative options were considered, as the Local Authority has a statutory duty to annually review and publish a Transport Policy Statement for learners aged 16–19 in further education and training, and for continuing learners with a learning difficulty and/or disability (LLDD) aged 19 and over.

This requirement necessitates the review and publication of the policy and therefore does not allow for alternative approaches.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None

Conflicts of interest declared by the Decision Maker if they sit as a Cabinet appointed representative to an outside body which relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None

Reports or parts of reports considered

Summary of Proposed Changes

The current ‘Home to School Transport Policy’ has been reviewed and updated to ensure compliance with the Local Authority’s statutory duty to annually review, amend and publish a Post-16 Travel Assistance Policy Statement.

Minor changes relate to the restructuring and terms used in the policy framework.

Previously, the Post-16 Transport Policy Statement was incorporated within a single, overarching Home to School Transport Policy covering compulsory School age and Post 16 age ranges. To strengthen governance, clarity and compliance, the policy has now been separated into two distinct documents:

1. A Travel Assistance Policy for compulsory school age (5–16), which will be comprehensively reviewed during the next academic year and where there are significant changes to the policy, appropriate consultation will be undertaken, and Cabinet approval will be sought.
2. A Post-16 Travel Assistance Policy Statement (16–19 and relevant 19+ learners).

This ensures each policy is clearly targeted, easier to manage, and aligned with specific statutory requirements for each age category.

There have been no changes to eligibility criteria or entitlement provisions within the Post 16 Travel Assistance Policy Statement. The amendments are primarily focused on terminology and clarity.

Key updates include:

Terminology modernisation:

“Home to School Transport” has been updated to “Travel Assistance” throughout.

“Transport services” and related team references have been updated to “Travel Assistance Service”.

“Transport solutions” have been replaced with “Travel solutions” or “Travel options” to reflect a broader, more flexible approach to provision.

Renaming of financial support mechanisms:

“Parental Transport Budgets (PTB)” have been renamed to “Personal/Parental Travel Grants (PTG)”.

“Parental Transport Claims” (PTC) have been renamed to “Travel Assistance Claims” (TAC).

Policy clarity and consistency improvements:

Definitions have been strengthened, including clearer descriptions relating to ‘Travel Assistance’ and ‘Travel Solutions’ in definition of terms.

Content has been reviewed to improve readability, remove ambiguity, and ensure consistent terminology in the Post 16 Travel Assistance Policy Statement.

Financial information continues to be assessed only to determine whether a contributory charge is payable where a place has been offered on an existing route.

Applicants must therefore provide suitable evidence to support this assessment. Free travel is not automatic and will only be confirmed where the information supplied demonstrates that no contributory charge applies under the policy.

General updates and housekeeping:

Links, contact details, and supporting information have been reviewed and updated where required.

Minor structural amendments have been made to improve navigation and usability.