HAMPSHIRE County Council is requesting feedback on proposals to increase parental payment to fund its post-16 transport service and improve the flexibility of its School Transport Policy.

Two public consultations will run from Monday, October 30 to Wednesday, December 6, for parents to share their views on the potential changes.

As required by the Department for Education (DfE), two policies are in place for the council’s school transport provision for children and young people: one for children of compulsory school age, and a Post-16 Policy for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) travelling to further education or training.  

The first of the consultations will seek feedback on plans to increase the parental financial contribution to the Post-16 Transport service, annually from September next year, in line with inflation.

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As with most Local Authorities, the Post-16 Transport service is discretionary and requires a partial parental contribution, with the majority of the overall costs funded by the county council.

Hampshire’s transport costs have risen significantly above inflation, from £34m in the 2021/22 financial year to more than £50m in 2022/23, sparking the proposal.

The parental contribution does not apply to families on low incomes or in exceptional circumstances and, in 2022/23, was waived for the majority of families eligible for Post-16 Transport.  

The second consultation on the School Transport Policy will gather views on a range of proposals to make the service more flexible and responsive to children’s needs over time.  

These include the proposed introduction of Personal Transport Budgets which could give families greater choice and flexibility to create more tailored transport arrangements.

Other suggestions include the development of an Independent Travel Training offer to support a small number of children to travel independently as part of their preparations for adulthood.

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If agreed, this would only be offered where absolutely suitable, following a thorough assessment process, and in agreement with the parents or carers.

Also proposed is the regular review of Passenger Assistants (PAs), who accompany eligible children with additional needs on their journeys to school.

As with the Post-16 Transport Policy, an increase in the parental contribution towards discretionary School Transport services has also been proposed, in line with inflation.

Those wishing to respond to the School Transport Policy consultation will find an information pack and consultation response form on the council website from Monday, October. Easy-read versions of all documents will be available, along with paper, Braille and other translated copies on request.  

Those wishing to comment on the proposed changes to the Post-16 Transport Policy will be able to share their feedback by calling, emailing or writing to the service. Contact details will be available on the consultation webpage from Monday, October 30.