Rutland County Council is looking to combine separate policies that cover travel to school and post 16 transport into one single travel assistance policy.
The council must have policies that ensure it meets all legal duties for the provision of travel to school and post 16 transport services. These legal requirements are set by the Department for Education (DfE) and include travel for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Rutland currently has three separate policies covering travel to school, SEND and post 16 travel, as well as a fourth that covers travel for young people aged 19 to 25 with SEND. These policies have been in place since 2017 and are used to guide decisions taken with families as to the kind of transport that can be provided for children and young people.
A review has found that the current number of policies is confusing for parents and carers who need to know what travel options are available to them and how this assistance may change as their children grow older.
Since Rutland’s existing transport policies were first introduced in 2017, there have also been numerous changes to DfE guidance on providing transport, as well as a big increase in the number of young people receiving travel assistance. The cost of providing travel assistance for children and young people in Rutland has increased by 109% over the past six years and now totals £1,038,070. The cost of providing transport for young people with SEND has grown by 269% over the same period and amounts to £1,498,410.
A report to cabinet on Tuesday 10 December will share the findings of Rutland’s transport policy review. It will also make recommendations for simplifying these policies and seek approval to consult parents, carers and other stakeholders on the potential to refine them, so they do not offer more travel options than the council is required to provide.
“Providing travel to school and post 16 travel for children and young people in Rutland is a huge undertaking and one that has grown considerably in recent years, as the duties placed upon us by the Department for Education have changed and evolved. Our review of Rutland’s existing transport policies has identified two key issues that need closer attention. Firstly, we have too many policies and they’re not clear enough about the assistance that families are eligible to receive. This is leading to added costs and confusion which we believe can be avoided by combining them and making them easier to follow. The second thing we need to consider is whether the travel assistance being offered by the council is economical. By law, we are not allowed to set policies that fail to provide transport for children and young people who are eligible, so there is absolutely no chance that the council will stop anything it must do. These two issues will be the focus of our consultation with families in the New Year, but nothing has been decided yet.”
Cllr Christine Wise, Cabinet Member for Transport, Environment and Communities
If given approval by cabinet on 10 December, Rutland County Council would hold the public consultation on its travel to school and post 16 transport policies between 6 January and 14 February 2025. This would include writing to all schools, as well as inviting feedback from parents, carers, schools, colleges and other key stakeholders via the council’s website. Provision would also be made for anyone without internet access.
The agenda and reports for cabinet on Tuesday 10 December 2024 can be found on our meetings page: