Decision details

That the information relating to Special Educational Needs reforms, the introduction of Education, Health and Care Plans and the impact upon the provision of Special Educational Needs transport be noted.

That the contents of the business case be noted and it be agreed:

i)  To progress the offer of personal budgets to all parents of children who are in  receipt of sole transport and, in a very limited number of cases, where the offer of personal budgets to individual parents is in the interests of both the Council and the parent; and,

ii)  To increase the mileage rate offer to 50 pence per mile.

That the revised draft Special Educational Needs Transport Policy be progressed to the consultation stage with Special Educational Needs stakeholders, with a view to enabling its introduction with effect from the start of the 2015/16 academic year.

Following a range of reforms recently made to education and special education, and the introduction of Education, Health and Care Plans through the Children and Families Act 2014, the Local Authority has undertaken a review of the Transport Assistance policy for children and young people, to ensure that service provision continues to be fit for purpose.

This review has contributed to the development of the revised Special Educational Needs Transport Options Business Case and draft Special Educational Needs Transport Policy, which seeks to develop a wider menu of transport assistance services into the future to support the individual assessed transport needs of children and young people, whilst meeting the Local Authority’s statutory duties and wider objectives.