Agenda item

Report ED15060

The Committee considered a report providing an update on the travel training programme for pupils with special educational needs, and seeking the agreement of the Council’s Executive to continue the travel training programme for a period of three years and to exempt the programme from tendering for a maximum period of three years to allow the existing service provider to continue to deliver the programme, building on the networks formed with parents, schools and key stakeholders over the past year.

The Local Authority had a statutory duty to provide transport assistance to pupils with a statement of special educational needs to access their specialist provision.  Dependent on the level of need and ability, transport assistance was provided in a range of vehicles, with a limited number of pupils using public transport.  Currently 825 pupils were eligible to receive transport assistance. 

In April 2013, the Council’s Executive approved invest to save funding for a travel training programme for a period of one year.  Bexley Accessible Transport was awarded the contract in June 2013, which had a target of enabling 28 pupils to travel independently by the end of the programme.  During the course of the travel training programme, 33 pupils had been trained to travel independently, four pupils had partly passed the training, nine pupils would revisit the training and four pupils had not completed it.  It was proposed that travel training should become an integral part of the ‘menu’ of transport assistance offers into the future.  Following an initial comprehensive assessment of need for each pupil, continuation of transport assistance needs would feature in the regular reviews at the key stages in a pupil’s education timeline and where appropriate, young people would be supported through the travel training programme to gain the skills and confidence to become independent travellers and reduce their dependency on transport assistance provided by the Local Authority.

In considering the report, the Chairman was pleased to note the success of the travel training programme for pupils with special educational needs.

It was proposed to continue the travel training programme for a period of three years with at least 20 pupils trained to travel independently per annum.  A Co-opted Member noted the benefits of the travel training programme to young people and in reducing the costs of transport assistance to Local Authority, and underlined the potential to roll out the travel training programme to a larger number of young people.  The Chairman requested that the Portfolio Holder for Education provide details to all Members of the Education PDS Committee on the maximum number of pupils across the Borough who might be able to benefit from the travel training programme following the meeting.

RESOLVED that the Executive be recommended to:

1)  Consider the outcomes of the Invest to Save Travel Training Initiative that was approved at Executive at its meeting on 3^rd April 2013;

2)  Agree the investment of £60,000 per annum to continue the travel training programme for the next three years;

3)  Agree the award of a three year contract to the current provider, Bexley Accessible Transport Services for a programme of travel training provided:

i)  The forecast return on investment continues to be achieved each year in line with projected savings detailed in Report ED15060; and,

ii)  The quality of training is maintained.

4)  Agree the rollout of the travel training programme to the maximum number of pupils across the Borough who might be able to benefit from it.