Consultation on travel support for children and young people
The first stage of a consultation on policies and the help and support the Council provides to children and young people to get to school and colleges, and for adults to travel to social care services or further education and training, is due to begin.
The Council’s ambition for children and young people and vulnerable adults is to provide ‘the right support at the right time to support independence’.
The Council now wants to review these travel assistance policies and is consulting residents on its planned changes.
The first phase of the consultation will focus on children and young people.. The consultation will be available at www.telford.gov.uk/travelassistance
It asks for people’s views around proposed changes including:
- Children who go to an out of catchment school based on religion or belief and currently receive travel assistance - this would be provided only to low income families who meet eligibility criteria
- Children under 5 who would no longer be eligible for funded travel assistance
- Clarifying how eligibility for travel assistance for adults will be assessed
The proposed new policy would also:
- Explain how decisions around eligibility for travel assistance are made and ensure that the council’s policy is clear, consistent, fair and transparent
- Explain the Council’s statutory duties and what parents, carers and adults can expect from the service, and for those not eligible for these services signposting alternatives so that we offer ‘something for everyone’;
- Help solve problems and promote social responsibility by offering a range of travel assistance options
- Be clear about the appeals process and which services the council may charge for
- Encourage independence, for example by expanding travel training
- Offer any available spare seats on school buses to those who are not eligible for travel assistance but who want to pay for a seat
The proposals aim to provide greater choice, independence and control for all.
The Department for Education have separately also launched a consultation around their new home to school guidance. The council will incorporate any resulting statutory guidance to their policy.
Councillor Shirley Reynolds, cabinet lead for Children and Young People, said: “The proposals we are consulting on would create a policy that is clear, consistent, fair and transparent for everyone who needs this support.
“We encourage everyone to give us their views, particularly those would be directly affected by any planned changes.”
Councillor Andy Burford, cabinet lead for Health and Social Care, added: “The Local Government Ombudsman has issued best practice for councils on what travel assistance councils should provide and this is now built into the proposed new and updated policy that we are consulting on.
“Phase two of the consultation on travel assistance support for adults will start in November and we will publish more details about this near the time.”
