PAPER D

 

Committee:       EDUCATION, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND LIFELONG LEARNING SELECT COMMITTEE

 

Date:               12 AUGUST 2002     

 

Title:                TRANSPORT TO & FROM SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN IN PUBLIC CARE - (AMENDMENT TO ‘ARRANGEMENTS FOR HOME TO SCHOOL AND SPECIALLY PROVIDED TRANSPORT).

                       

REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

 

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

SUMMARY/PURPOSE

 

All Councils have, through legislation, a responsibility to meet their Corporate Parenting Responsibilities in relation to Children in Public Care.

 

This proposal sets out to support Children in Public Care, to maintain their school placement and exercise choice over the school they would wish to attend. The Directorates of Education & Community Development and Social Services & Housing will work in partnership by sharing the costs of transport to school where children fall outside the normal transport policy.

 

BACKGROUND

 

1.         The Council has a corporate responsibility to ensure children who are in their care gain maximum opportunity from education in order to improve their life chances.  The DfES have agreed targets outlined in the Quality Protects Management Action Plan (Social Services) and in the Education Development Plan (LEA).

 

2.         Children in Public Care are some of the most vulnerable children in society.  Research has shown that they perform poorly in comparison with peers of similar ability, who are not in the care system.  Stability of Educational placement is a key factor in improving their standards of attainment.

 

3.         Children in the public care system frequently change schools through no fault of their own, (although the majority attend their local school).  This may be due to family or foster care breakdown.  This may then lead to a change of school and discontinuity of education.  It also means that friends and relationships may also be lost and they have to learn new systems and routines as well as get to know new children and teachers.

 

PROPOSAL

 

4.         The Directorates of Education & Community Development, and Social Services & Housing, propose to share the cost of Home to School Transport (Bus Pass only costs) on a 50:50 basis in order to reduce the need for a transfer of school, unless this is considered appropriate; also to enable children to make a positive choice of school where, in other circumstances, the cost of transport would be borne by their parents, and the travel arrangements do not fall within the existing transport policy. 

 

5.         This arrangement does not apply to transport costs incurred as a consequence of living within two miles of a Primary School and three miles of a Middle or High School.  If the distance is under two or three miles respectively, the normal Travel Arrangements Policy applies.

 

KEY REASONS

 

·         The child does not meet the existing criteria for a bus pass through the Education Directorate’s Transport Policy.

 

·         The current foster placement the child is in requires that they need assisted travel through provision of a bus pass to continue in school.

 

·         The child has had to change school in order to meet their identified needs, which are specified in their Care Plan, LAC Review or Personal Education Plan.

 

PRACTICE

 

7.         The named Social Worker for the child, with their Team Manager’s approval, will contact the Education Co-ordinator for Looked After Children with the relevant details and documentation, who in turn will liase with the Senior Administrative Officer (Admissions and Transport) to arrange the Bus Pass.

 

8.         The Education Directorate will invoice the appropriate Social Work Team for 50% of the cost of the Bus Pass from the fostering budget.

 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION

 

9.         As stated previously, in most cases, children and young people attend their local priority schools and their transport needs fall within the existing Transport Policy.

 

10.       Implementation of this proposal will lead to some shared costs between the Directorates.  As this will be on an agreed planned basis, rather than as a reactive strategy, it will mean that children’s educational needs will be given priority and this will reduce confusion as to which directorate is responsible for funding the arrangements.

 

11.       Data for the forthcoming academic year, 2002/3 indicates there are 12 children who would be eligible under these arrangements from in total, a ‘looked after’ population of approximately 175.  This would incur additional costs, at today’s prices, of £4,560.

 

12.       Whilst the circumstances of children in public care can change fairly rapidly, there is no reason to assume that the numbers involved through this proposal could exceed 25 in any one year, based on current information.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

·         To recommend this amendment be approved by the Executive.

 

BACKGROUND PAPERS

None.

 

Contact Point:             Rob Faulkner, Principal Education Officer (SEN), Tel:  823427

 

 

                                                                        ALAN KAYE

                                    Strategic Director of Education and Community Development