Agenda item

Draft Home to School Travel Assistance and Post 16 Travel Assistance Policies for Consultation

Decision:

1.  Approved the strategic aims to support deliver of the Council’s statutory responsibilities in relation to providing travel assistance to attend school and colleges.

 

2.  Approved the policies attached at Appendices 1 and 2 to the report in draft and authorise a public consultation to take place from the end of June to August 2022.

 

3.  Noted that a report would be brought back to cabinet early in the 2022/23 Autumn Term for approval of the final policies, following consideration by the People Scrutiny Panel on 12 September 2022.

Minutes:

The Lead Member for Children’s Services, Lifelong Learning & Skills introduced a report which proposed to review its school travel assistance policies to enable the Council to continue to deliver its statutory responsibilities, improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and controls costs.

 

The policy had most recently been updated in 2019 but the policy had not been fully reviewed since 2016 and the system was considered to have inefficiencies which contributed to high and rising costs.  It was proposed that the policies in the appendices to the report go out for public consultation.

 

The Cabinet welcomed the review and consultation.  Lead Members were supportive of the principles and commented on the importance of promoting independence, particularly in a relatively small borough such as Slough with a good sustainable transport options.  It was noted that some comparator authorities in Berkshire were appeared able to contain the costs of transport and any lessons learned should be explored.  In response to a question about the 190 beneficiaries of the scheme who do not have an EHCP, it was explained that these qualify through other criteria and that the EHCP was not the sole requirement.  

 

In response to a question about the consultation process it was explained that the Council has identified a number of dates and will be carrying these out in different parts of the town in the day and evening to encourage wider representation.

 

The recommendations were agreed.

 

Resolved -

 

(a)  Approved the strategic aims to support deliver of the Council’s statutory responsibilities in relation to providing travel assistance to attend school and colleges.

 

(b)  Approved the policies attached at Appendices 1 and 2 to the report in draft and authorise a public consultation to take place from the end of June to August 2022.

 

(c)  Noted that a report would be brought back to cabinet early in the 2022/23 Autumn Term for approval of the final policies, following consideration by the People Scrutiny Panel on 12 September 2022.

Supporting documents: