Issue - meetings

Decision

number:

Decision:

The Cabinet noted the responses of the consultation.

102/2023

The Cabinet agreed the following, with implementation from 1 September 2023:

• Proposal A – to instruct officers to develop and deliver an in-house Travel Training Service in line with current policy;
• Proposal B – to include the option to provide a suitably trained and vetted independent travel companion to accompany a child on their journey to and from school, where it is evidenced that a parent/carer is unable to do so due to disability;
• Proposal C - noting that this could become a statutory requirement, the Cabinet agreed to increase the fuel allowance from one return journey from home to school per school day (when an eligible pupil is in the vehicle), to two return journeys for both mainstream and SEND pupils;
• Proposal D - to increase the fuel allowance rate to 45p per mile (SEND) and 13.5p per mile (mainstream), (and noted that agreeing C and D would mean the number of journeys funded would double, as well as the rate being increased);
• Proposal E – not to progress this proposal in its current form;
• Proposal F – to instruct officers to reframe available Post 16 Travel Assistance arrangements to prioritise options which promote independent travel and public transport use and ensure more needs targeted provision of hired transport.

103/2023

In agreeing the above, the Cabinet approved the revised Education Travel Assistance Policy, as set out at Appendix 1.