Agenda item

The purpose of this report is to update the Audit and Governance on progress in implementing actions agreed following the audit of Transport for Education completed in March 2013.

Declarations of Interest:
None.

Witnesses:

Sue Lewry-Jones, Chief Internal Auditor

Siva Sanmugarajah, Lead Auditor

Tracey Coventry, Transport Co-ordination Team Manager

PJ Wilkinson, Assistant Director for Schools & Learning

Zully Grant-Duff, Chairman of Children & Education Select Committee, was in attendance

Key Points Raised During the Discussion:

1.    The Chairman reminded the committee that the Chairman of Children & Education Select Committee had been asked to monitor the progress of the Transport for Education Management Action Plan.  The Chairman of Children & Education Select Committee confirmed that she had met with officers to understand the background to the audit and the progress that has been made since.  She had requested that officers prepare a context briefing for the Committee which was attached to the agenda papers.  The Assistant Director for Schools & Learning and the Transport Co-ordination Team Manager acknowledged the cost, complexity and challenges associated with Transport for Education, particularly for SEN.  The Assistant Director for Schools & Learning disagreed with the audit recommendation that SEN officers be present at the annual review by the schools of the SEN children which covers their payment.  This review was between the school and the child’s parents and would be time-consuming for SEN officers to be present at each one.  The Transport Co-ordination Team Manager highlighted the introduction of a new Transport system which was to go live in April 2014.  This would be more fit-for-purpose, simpler and quicker to use.  There would be better reporting of financial data to services.  Staff could therefore concentrate on route reviews, retendering etc to bring costs down.

2.    Members queried how parents could input information such as children being in hospital, therefore avoiding transport being provided unnecessarily.  The Transport Co-ordination Team Manager informed the committee that a ‘general communication form’ would be expected from the Schools & Learning Service.  However, the driver will also often be aware of any upcoming changes and can also feed this back to the Transport Co-ordination Centre (TCC).  If a child is sick before school that would have to be dealt with once known.  Where a child needs to leave school during the day, transport will be arranged if the case officer requests it.

3.    The Chairman asked what the alternative to SEN officers being present at SEN reviews would be in order to achieve the same required outcome.  The Assistant Director for Schools & Learning suggested that the status quo was an alternative option.  The Transport Co-ordination Team Manager also highlighted the change to the current system which has made an end date for transport provision a mandatory field.  The TCC can regularly run a report with upcoming end dates and send it to SEN officers to see if transport has been reviewed.  The Assistant Director for Schools & Learning confirmed that transport would stop at the end date unless a request is put in for the transport to continue.  There was some concern expressed by members of the Committee and the Chairman of Children & Education Select Committee that the introduction of an end date was simplistic and would not deliver the necessary outcome.  Officers suggested that complexity can make people disengage and that simple rules were more enforceable.

4.    Officers confirmed that transport was provided to Surrey pupils rather than to schools.  Therefore pupils attending academy schools and even those at a school outside Surrey could be eligible.  Mainstream policy is to not pay for transport if there is a closer school with space. 

5.    The Chairman of Children & Education Select Committee suggested commissioning officers to conduct a pilot process review of one quadrant to identify what can be done to improve the system, how risks can better controlled etc.  The Assistant Director for Schools & Learning suggested that a complete solution was probably unlikely but that improvements could probably be identified from a pilot review.  The Committee was supportive of this.  The Assistant Director for Schools & Learning volunteered the South East area for a pilot review but requested that it begin work after 1 September 2014 when the new Special Educational Needs Code of Practice comes into force (Recommendations tracker ref: A8/14).

Actions/Further information to be provided:

Officers from Environment & Infrastructure and Children, Schools & Families directorates to jointly conduct a pilot process review of Transport for Education in the South East area after 1 September 2014.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee notes the actions taken/planned by officers to address the concerns raised in the audit review completed in March 2013.

Committee Next Steps:
None.