LSC North East Regional Transport Conference

1
LSC - North East Regional Transport Conference

• Tyne and Wear Post 16 Transport Partnership
• Tony Davey
• Principal Finance Officer
• Sunderland City Council

2
Transport Costs

• Cost of Travel Provision (to schools and
  colleges) in the North East funded by 12 Local
  Authoritys -
• 2004/5 37.7 Million
• 2005/6 40.5 Million
• 2006/7 42.5 Million
• SEN travel only
• 2006/7 21.5 Million
• Schools 20.5 Million
• Colleges 1.0 Million
• Source Section 52 Budget Statements

3
Transport Costs

• Reasons for increased costs
• Increased running costs of operators,
• Petrol/Diesel
• Insurance
• CRB Checks
• Minimum Wage
• Training Costs
• Closures of schools due to falling rolls,
• Increased awareness of entitlement,
• Legislative changes,
• Expectation that travel will be provided and
  funded for young people.

4
Expectation of Provision

• Why?
• The young person has a special educational need,
• young people travelling on their own is dangerous
  and on many occasions support is required,
• parental lack of trust/confidence in the young
  person,
• young peoples lack of confidence in their own
  abilities,
• other travellers ambivalence towards the young
  people who may require assistance,
• Custom and practice,
• Peer recognition.
• How can we overcome this? - Education/Training
  (being pro-active)

5
The Independent Travel Scheme

• Presentation by Hull City Council in 2003,
• Finances required a collaborative approach,
• Creating the project/scheme brief,
• Hosting the scheme (HR Implications),
• Conference June 2005 (administrators
  practitioners),
• Appointments,
• Audit of travel issues in the area, leading to
  further collaborative work and support from
  schools service providers
• Launch Day of DVD in June 2007.

6
Funding the Scheme (2007/8)

• Post 16 Travel Grant to 5 LA
  Partnerships in Tyne
  Wear 261,000
• Cost of Scheme 205,000
• The Future
• Post 16 Travel Grant to 12 LA
  Partnerships in North East
  Region 718,000
• Estimated Cost of Scheme circa 450,000 -
  475,000

7
Scheme Advantages

• Young People ( Schools) Development,
• Independence,
• Confidence,
• (additional qualification).
• Parents Confidence in YP ability
• Local Public Transport Operators Additional
  income
• Local Authority Every Child Matters (all
  5 areas),
• Efficiencies (Mr Gershon)

8
The Future

• Barrier
• Short term nature of funding,
• Extension of Scheme
• North East Region,
• Used as a National template.
• Who could take on the role of funding the scheme?
• Who could take on the role of managing the
  scheme?