Issue - meetings

That ‘Sole Provider’ contracts for home-to-school transport, commencing on 1 August 2014, be awarded for provision at the following Schools by the named suppliers:

·       Pond Meadow School – AMK Chauffeur Drive Ltd

·       The Ridgeway Community School – AMK Chauffeur Drive Ltd

·       Woodlands School – Supreme Freedom to Travel Ltd

·       Walton Leigh School – Supreme Freedom to Travel Ltd

The proposed contracts will be for a three year period with the option to extend for

up to a further four years.

Reasons for Decisions:

Pupils with special educational needs often want consistency from the operator – the same driver, same escort and same vehicle, on time, each day. Parents want to know the driver will show compassion, patience and caring towards their child, and know how to deal with their child’s specific needs (anything from autism to severe learning or behavioural difficulties, to physical disabilities). All four Schools have reported these benefits from the current Sole Provider contracts.

To summarise our objectives:

• Consistency of service delivery, as one provider is accountable
• Strong relationship between the School and its transport provider
• Quality of service provision, as performance monitoring will be made easier

[The decisions on this item can be called in by either the Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee or the Children and Education Select Committee]

The Cabinet Member for Schools and Learning said that the Council had a requirement to provide transport services for eligible children with special educational needs.  These contracts provided transport for Surrey’s most vulnerable children who often needed to travel with escorts. Currently, this requirement was covered by the current Sole Provider contracts that expired on 31 July 2014.

Approval was sought to award four contracts for the provision of home-to-school transport services to AMK Chauffeurs Ltd and Supreme Freedom to Travel Ltd starting on 1 August 2014, for a three year period with the option to extend up to a further four years, for provision at four SEN Schools.

The proposed ‘Sole Provider’ contract arrangement would mean that one transport provider was responsible for delivering the entirety of a School’s home-to-school transport for the duration of the contract and that these children would have their own dedicated driver.

Due to the commercial sensitivity involved in the contract award process, the details of the evaluation process and scores, as well as full financial details were included as confidential information in Part 2 (item 15).

RESOLVED:

That ‘Sole Provider’ contracts for home-to-school transport, commencing on 1 August 2014, be awarded for provision at the following Schools by the named suppliers:

·       Pond Meadow School – AMK Chauffeur Drive Ltd

·       The Ridgeway Community School – AMK Chauffeur Drive Ltd

·       Woodlands School – Supreme Freedom to Travel Ltd

·       Walton Leigh School – Supreme Freedom to Travel Ltd

The proposed contracts will be for a three year period with the option to extend for

up to a further four years.

Reasons for Decisions:

Pupils with special educational needs often want consistency from the operator – the same driver, same escort and same vehicle, on time, each day. Parents want to know the driver will show compassion, patience and caring towards their child, and know how to deal with their child’s specific needs (anything from autism to severe learning or behavioural difficulties, to physical disabilities). All four Schools have reported these benefits from the current Sole Provider contracts.

To summarise our objectives:

• Consistency of service delivery, as one provider is accountable
• Strong relationship between the School and its transport provider
• Quality of service provision, as performance monitoring will be made easier