Agenda item

1. Mrs Fordham introduced the paper and gave an overview of the reasoning behind the decision.

2. Mr Chapman gave an overview of the decision, adding that since the publication of the paper the annual increase in cost of the saver pass had occurred, so the correct costing of that was £630. The current system was no longer sustainable, the service was looking to offer families a personal travel budget rather than a vehicle. This was due to a 75% increase in qualifying students in the past six years and a 40% increase in transport costs per pupil which had pushed annual spending over £10 million. The aim was to maintain support for students with specific needs whilst making the transport system more financially sustainable, with 34% of consultation respondents agreeing with proposed changes.

3. In response to comments and questions it was said:
   1. The impact of this decision had been analysed, when looking at the 2024/25 cohort of 1500 young people, with 200 selecting a Personal Transport Pass (PTP), it was understood that this had the possibility to cause 1300 new vehicles on the road or around 300 if ride sharing occurred. The average cost of a taxi was £8600 which made a full transition to taxi use unlikely, there was a focus on facilitating alternative transport arrangements. Mr Chapman emphasised the importance of the analysis providing transparency for parents and students about future transfer options before school selection.
   2. Mr Chapman shared that out of 621 young people previously receiving transport support, only 24 cases were initially declined. Of the declined cases, most found alternative solutions: 37% received alternative social care support, 8% moved to different educational provisions, 12% found their own transportation methods and just one person left education entirely. The proposed changes aimed to provide financial support between £1,317 and £4,370 in mileage payments, balancing individual needs with broader system requirements. Whilst the changes had the potential to impact some individuals they had been carefully considered by the service.
   3. Mrs Hammond added that last year the Local Authority processed over 800 Education, Health and Care Plan’s (EHCP’s) for individuals aged 19 to 25. Of the over 800, 90 people continued to receive adult social care, 550 had no additional needs and did not require continued support from the Local Authority and some individuals transitioned into work or apprenticeships. Mrs Hammond emphasised that there was no substantial evidence suggesting that young people with EHCP’s were significantly impacting adult social care services when their educational support ceased somewhere between the ages of 19 to 25.
   4. Mr Chapman added that the aim was to transform how Kent supports young people’s independence. The service was to start compelling young learners and families to engage with the Independent Travel Training Scheme from age 16. The default expectation was to promote self-sufficiency however flexibility would be maintained through the Member-led Regulation Committee. This ensured that individuals with the highest level of need could still receive specialised transportation support.
   5. There was an aim to create flexible transport arrangements from rural schools, by implementing the School Led Transport scheme  for students. The policy aimed to allow schools develop their own transport solutions using existing vehicles, whilst providing travel training that assessed individual student capabilities. There would be an assessment stage before travel training to identify those who would not be able to cope in those scenarios. Mr Chapman added that positive conversations had taken place with leaders in rural schools, these schools had asked for flexibility to work with KCC for their own arrangements.
   6. A Member raised that there needed to be a focus on the lack of bus services and to ensure that young people were given the opportunity for independence and entry into the workforce in adulthood.

RESOLVED that the Committee considered and endorsed the proposed decision.