Agenda item

Report to follow.

Simon Jones, Corporate Director, GET; Matt Dunkley, Corporate Director, CYPE; Vicky Evans, Operations Manager and Alison White, Chair of Trustees of Kent Parents and Carers Together (PACT) were in attendance for this item.

1) Ms Evans said she and Ms White had worked tirelessly across Kent on the issue of SEND transport. The issues relating to SEN transport were countywide and affected a large number of children. Moving forward, parents needed to have faith that KCC would provide a more than adequate service. Some parents of SEN children affected by the problems had not been able to go to work or had to make a choice between their child being transported to school by taxi or paying for utilities.

It was reported that there had been oversights to the physical needs of children needing transport. Huge gap in communications- people were urged to email an address or use a telephone number but there were no communications in response.

Parents had reported the uncertainty had impacted on half term. Kent PACT had been placed in difficult position as a buffer.

2) The Leader said that he had received the messages and for many families, half term was not half term- the situation facing families was understood. Thanks were given to Ms Evans and Ms White for setting out what had happened so clearly.

3) Mr Brazier said GET had assured parents, carers and PACT that all those receiving SEND transport on 7 December 2021 would have details of their future provision by 11 February 2022. It became clear just before 11 February, that something was wrong and that some families had not and would not be advised as was thought. Mr Brazier met with officers and Cabinet colleagues on 14 February and it was established that many families had not had transport allocated to them. A full audit had been commissioned so that lessons could be learned and to avoid a recurrence in the future.

4) Mr Jones said that it was recognised that the delivery of re-tendering work had become protracted and delayed beyond the completion dates that had been identified. The programme had fallen below the standard KCC sought to and expected to achieve. It had resulted in pupils not being allocated transport for the beginning of term in the middle of February 2022. Apologies were given to all the parents, carers and pupils affected. Transport had been allocated to all those considered within the tendering process and KCC was actively addressing those children who had become eligible for transport since 7 December 2021. The urgent enquiries regarding the suitability and other particular aspects raised by parents and carers were being addressed. KCC was committed to support a review and will seek to establish a plan of continuous improvement to not only prevent a recurrence but also to provide improved performance operationally in the future.

5) Mr Dunkley said KCC was a large and complex organisation and that when things go wrong, there was a wide impact. There was a lesson for KCC around co-production with parents and Mr Dunkley regretted that good work building trust with parents by PACT had been undermined by the issues around re-tendering of the SEND transport. Large numbers of children and their families had undergone a difficult time as a result of the issues and lessons had to be learned from mistakes made.

6) Mrs Prendergast said it was important to acknowledge the pain that families had experienced. The review that officers were looking to commission was welcomed and it was important that there was not a recurrence of the issues.

7) Mrs Chandler thanked PACT for their work over the preceding fortnight and in the wider SEND agenda. Mrs Chandler said that Ms Evans and Ms White’s comments about individual families had resonated with Members. Their request to be included in what happens going forward had been noted.

8) Mr Sweetland thanked Ms Evans and Ms White for their attendance at the meeting. It was noted that Mrs Prendergast had apologised in the media.

9) The Leader said it was important to acknowledge what had happened and reiterated the apology to those affected. An independent review was to be commissioned by KCC’s Statutory Officers. The aim was ongoing service improvement but further steps were to be taken in due course informed by the review.

10) RESOLVED to note the update.