Agenda item

This report provides a progress update on development of the new Travel Assistance Policy and includes a summary of the responses received to the recent public consultation carried out with Cabinet approval being sought to the Policy, prior to final publication.

Cabinet RESOLVED to:

(1)    Approve the minor amendments to the Policy, as detailed within section 3.4 of the report which had been designed to strengthen the Plan following consultation feedback.

(2)     Note the feedback received and suggestions made by the public and various stakeholders as part of the recent public consultation and stakeholder engagement exercises on the draft plan, as set out in the Community Consultation Report attached at Appendix B to the report.

(3)    Approve adoption of the final version of the Active Travel Implementation Plan incorporating the amendments agreed under (1) above, as detailed within Appendix A of the report.

Eligible for call-in: Yes

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Monday 24 June 24.

Councillor Grahl (Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Schools) introduced a report, which provided an update on the development of the new Travel Assistance Policy and included details of the feedback received from the recent public consultation and stakeholder engagement exercise on the plan, prior to seeking approval for adoption and publication.

In introducing the report Cabinet noted that the Policy covered the provision of home to school travel assistance to support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and played an essential role in enabling their ongoing access to education.  In recognising the value of independent and active travel and changes in the cohort of young people requiring assistance, members noted that the Policy had been developed around two key principles that underpinned the culture of providing travel assistance.  The first of these had been focused around promoting independence, including supporting young people to travel independently and the second focussed around maintaining quality of life, with the Policy also designed to ensure access to education remained fair and equal for children and young people with SEND as well as continuing to support opportunities for Post 16 skills development for young people with SEND.

Members were advised that development of the strategy had also been based on a comprehensive public consultation process which had included a wide variety of stakeholders with the process and outcome having been detailed in section 4 and Appendix 2 of the report.

In commending the approach outlined within the Policy, Members noted the feedback provided on the current service and were keen to support the efforts being made to encourage the use of more active forms of travel given the wider climate, environmental and health impacts as well as the focus on the options being developed to promote independent travel as a means of developing independence skills and self-confidence.  Whilst recognising that these options may not be appropriate in all cases and welcoming the assurance provided in acknowledging this point, support was expressed for the proposed development of an Independent Travel Training Programme and work being undertaken with Transport for London on this, seeking to utilise all available sources of funding and as part of the wider package of support already available through the Local Offer for children and young people with SEND.

In supporting and welcoming development of the Policy as a means of seeking to further enhance the support available to children and young people with SEND Cabinet RESOLVED to:

(1)    Approve the minor amendments to the Policy, as detailed within section 3.4 of the report which had been designed to strengthen the Plan following consultation feedback.

(2)     Note the feedback received and suggestions made by the public and various stakeholders as part of the recent public consultation and stakeholder engagement exercises on the draft plan, as set out in the Community Consultation Report attached at Appendix B to the report.

(3)    Approve adoption of the final version of the Active Travel Implementation Plan incorporating the amendments agreed under (1) above, as detailed within Appendix A of the report.