HRA claims Conservatives are Disingenuous about Proposed Changes to Home School Transport

Today in the Havering Daily, the Havering Residents Association voice their concerns regarding what they believe to be disingenuous actions by the Havering Conservatives around the proposed cuts and changes in the Home School Transport service.

Last Wednesday, 17th January, Havering Council was invited to vote on the following Conservative motion:

‘This Council calls on the Cabinet not to proceed with the proposed cuts and changes in service, proposed in the Home School Transport consultation.

It further recognises that such cuts would have a detrimental impact on both children and parents, causing them increased stress and anxiety.’

Councillor Oscar Ford Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said: “The Conservatives have been disingenuous with residents. Their motion would have prevented the resident’s views being heard that were shared within the consultation, it would have ignored government statutory guidance and it would have denied families the opportunity to consider new and different options.”

“It has always been the intention that once the consultation process ended, a report would be written and presented to the People Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee for discussion and recommendations. However, the Conservatives supported by the Harold Wood Residents Association were not prepared for the review to proceed.”

Councillor Ford made it clear in the meeting that it was in fact the Conservative Administration that had proposed cuts to Home School Transport in their 21/22 and 22/23 budgets and that It was 7 years ago in 2017 that the last significant review was undertaken. The new guidance published in June 2023 suggests reviews are undertaken regularly. It was therefore appropriate to undertake a review to hear what residents wanted and to ensure the Council remained compliant.

The Administration reinforced that this is a sensitive issue where not one size fits all. It will be case by case, following statutory guidance and not forcing people into a service that does not suit the needs of the child or young person. Cost reductions will only happen if people want to change, for example to a direct payment, enabling them to take their own child to school or to fund another service provider or through travel training where the young person can develop and gain confidence to get themselves to school.

As part of the review, The Administration is also looking to introduce an improved appeals process.

Councillor Oscar Fords full speech can be seen below:

Thank you, Madam Deputy Mayor.

I have attempted to work out if the motion before us is premature, or late, in its ambition to halt the current policy review and consultation process that was set in train last September by way of a Cabinet decision.

As will all such Cabinet decisions, there was an opportunity at that time, for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to call it in, review it, and to put forward their own recommendations.

That opportunity was not taken up.

The Cabinet decision taken back then, was to consult on potential changes to Home to School Transport provision, and I emphasise potential changes; there is no pre-determination here.

The consultation that has taken place since then has provided a substantial, detailed and informative response, I can confirm that this information is still being analysed, and no report for decision has been prepared as yet. The consultation findings and their influence on any proposed travel scheme changes have yet to be formally presented to Councillors. 

It is the case that, before any decision on changes is taken, a presentation on the outcome of the consultation will be made to the People Overview & Scrutiny Committee, who will no doubt bring their collective wisdom to bear and may make suggestions for the Cabinet to consider. 

Whilst the Council’s Home to School transport arrangements are published annually, the last record I could find of a significant policy review in relation to the policy dates back to 2017; this is of itself an indicator that a review of provisions might be due. 

The Government guidance update of June 2023 specifically states that Council’s should review their policies on a regular basis. Thus, we are working in accordance with this guidance by undertaking this review and consultation process. 

It is also the case that this Council’s financial situation has become challenging in the extreme, with significant growth in demand being an important factor. Whilst this should never be a driver for arbitrary cost cutting, at the expense of any statutory provision, it has to be a consideration in all aspects of Council support and discretionary service provision.

Furthermore, we have a specific Best Value duty to have regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the exercise of all of our functions, and we must be able to demonstrate that this is the case. The government's own statutory guidance makes reference to budget pressures and the difficult decisions Councils will have to make. 

That said, we do have a statutory duty to support families requiring home school transport. Any failure to ensure that eligible children have access to adequate school transport could infringe a child’s right to an education under the Human Rights Act and we would therefore not be focussed on cutting home school transport, rather we would be considering and promoting alternatives that continue to support the child and families in a cost-effective way. 

To make a call for nothing to change ducks our responsibilities as a Council, it would not provide for the voice of children and families to be heard, it ignores statutory guidance and duties, and it is blinkered to the need to review on a regular basis. 

Local authorities are responsible for deciding what travel arrangements to make, provided that they are suitable for the needs of the children for whom they are made. We also have a duty to promote sustainable and active travel to school. 

Whilst the Council has discretionary powers in the general provision of Home to School transport, the legislation and guidance rightly places a great deal of emphasis on the needs of eligible children and defines key areas where parental discretion in relation to any specific transport offer, such as the provision of a travel budget, applies. 

Each family’s needs are unique, and each family will require a transport service tailored to those needs. Officers will work with each family to ensure we get the right provision for their child or children and yes, this may lead to some changes. 

The motion seeks “no proposed cuts and changes” and yet, it was the Conservative Administration that included a review of Children’s Passenger Transport as a cost saving element in its budget setting decisions for 2021/22 and again in 2022/23: 

I say that a review is timely for several reasons, we must listen to the views expressed through the consultation, we should give the opportunity for scrutiny to take place, we must take due account of our budgetary challenges, and we must respect the legal rights of parents and the specific needs of individuals when making any changes to transport offers and provision. 

I therefore urge Members to support the amendment.

Support Local Journalism
We at The Havering Daily appreciate your support of quality journalism. Your generous donation, no matter the size, allows us to continue bringing unbiased and informative news to the community. Your contribution helps us maintain our independence and allows us to continue providing high-quality journalism. Thank you for valuing the work we do and for supporting our mission

Thank you

Stay up to date with all of our latest updates and content by following us on our social media accounts!

We have created community pages where we will share our up-to-date stories happening in the area. Add the area closest to where you live.