This is a default template, your custom branding appears to be missing.
The custom branding should be at https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/global/moderngov/pcc/pcc_template if you cannot load this page please contact your IT.

Technical Error: Error: The underlying connection was closed: The connection was closed unexpectedly.

Issue

Issue - meetings

Home to School Transport

Meeting: 16/01/2020 - Cabinet Member for Education (Item 8)

8 Home to School Transport pdf icon PDF 433 KB

Purpose of report

The purpose of this report is to outline the ongoing pressures on the home to school & college transport budget, which are becoming increasingly difficult to manage within the overall Education and Early Help budget, and the actions that are being taken to address them.

 

RECOMMENDED that the Cabinet Member:

 

a)     Notes the scale of the budget pressure together with the remedial actions taken by the Education & Early Help Service over an extended period in order to contain overall costs as set out in sections 3 and 4 of the report;

b)     Notes the actions and plans that the Education & Early Help Service is undertaking in 2019/20 to address existing and future budget pressures as set out in section 5 of the report and in Appendix 3.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report was introduced by Julia Katherine, Head of Inclusion. 

 

In response to questions officers clarified the following:

·         Table 3 showed the percentage of children with and without a statutory entitlement to home to school travel assistance.  Statutory eligibility in terms of SEN are those children who would never be able to travel independently.  The number of children with a statutory entitlement has increased. The percentage of children who receive assistance without a statutory entitlement has reduced.   There are different ways in which travel assistance can be provided, depending on the needs of individual children. It is important that we look at supporting children to travel to school in ways that also enable them to learn independent travel skills, as appropriate for their particular needs (e.g. some children will be able to travelby bus if they have had travel training.

The Cabinet member thanked officers for the report and said there was some very positive steps being considered.

 

DECISIONS:

 

The Cabinet Member for Education:

 

1.    Noted the scale of the budget pressure together with the remedial actions taken by the Education and Early Help Service over an extended period in order to contain overall costs as set out in sections 3 and 4 of the report

2.    Noted the actions and plans that the Education and Early Help Service is undertaking in 2019/20 to address existing and future budget pressures as set out in section 5 of the report and in Appendix 3.