Labour Councillors question Home to School Transport proposals.

‘We will not be agreeing to any proposals which would be to the detriment of children in the borough.’

On Thursday 1^st of February, Labour councillors attended the ‘People’ Overview & Scrutiny Committee to question officers on the recent consultation regarding Home to School Transport.

Vice-Chair of the Committee, Councillor Frankie Walker, spoke about the difficulties of ensuring that providing budgets to parents matched the cost of suitable and safe transport, and officers have confirmed that if parents choose to accept a personal travel budget, that the cost of the journey will be covered in full by the council, and that pre-paid cards could be used to facilitate this.

The theme of consent, and as Councillor Matt Stanton emphasised, ‘informed consent’, ran through the meeting, with councillors of all parties recounting the contact they had with parents who were worried that impractical decisions would be made which would disadvantage their children. Officers have confirmed that greater efforts would be made in explaining additions to the policy – as opposed to changes – and that there was now a dedicated SEND engagement officer to work with parents.

Officers also confirmed that consent from the parents would have to be sought in order to make any changes.

The Labour Group had already raised concerns about proposed alterations at the last meeting of the Council on the 17 January, when Leader of the Labour Group, Councillor Keith Darvill, spoke on the subject, pointing out that the consultation had to occur following changes in the guidance issued to councils by the government, and confirmed at that meeting that ‘we would not be agreeing to any proposals which would be to the detriment of children in the borough’.

Further examination and scrutiny of the proposals will follow before they are brought back to Cabinet. The Labour Group are committed to a thorough examination of all the proposed changes to ensure vulnerable children and their parents are not disadvantaged by them.

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