Post-16 travel

The post-19 (19 to 25) travel assistance powers held by the Council apply to students with special educational needs and disabilities aged between 19 and 25 inclusive who have an EHCP.

The Council recognises that young people are, in many cases, more capable of achieving independent travel than pupils of statutory school age. As such the policy for post-19 (19-25) students is focused upon a needs-led approach in which the individual needs of each young adult are assessed to inform the appropriate form of travel assistance.

‘Post-19’ will include learners aged 19 to 25 (starting from the academic year after they turn 19).

The Council will consider whether assistance with travel is necessary to enable young adults with EHCPs to maintain attendance at their education placement. If it is identified that assistance is necessary, then there would be no charge/ financial contribution expected from the young adult.

For post-19 students starting a new course, they must also evidence why it is necessary for the Council and not the student to make travel arrangements. The same assessment and considerations that were applied to students aged 16-19 will be applied to those 19-25 based on the evidence provided and, on a case,-by-case basis to determine if assistance from the Council with travel and access to their education placement is necessary.

Where it is identified that assistance with travel is necessary for a learner aged 19-25 then no contribution charge will be required.

Council provided Travel Assistance

Where students are identified as only able to access their post 16 education with assistance from the Council, after exhausting all other travel options, then the Council may allocate a travel option from the categories below.

The Council will aim to use the highest appropriate category on the list, taking into account the needs of the pupil, and how the council can enable them to develop skills for independent travel:

1. provision of a travel pass for the pupil;
2. provision of independent travel training;
3. provision of a travel bursary;
4. payment of car mileage/travel reimbursement for the pupil/pupil’s parent(s) (with consent);
5. provision of a travel pass for pupil and parent;
6. provision of a shared vehicle without escort;
7. provision of a shared vehicle with escort;
8. provision of an individual vehicle without escort;
9. provision of an individual vehicle with escort.

All travel provision will be reviewed as part of the annual review of needs and if appropriate as part of an early review. Travel assistance provision may be withdrawn or amended if circumstances have changed or the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Panel considers the withdrawal appropriate as an encouragement to independence.

Travel training

Local authorities have a duty to encourage, enable and assist the participation of young people with learning difficulties or disabilities up to the age of 25 in education and training. Independent travel training aims to achieve this.

Independent travel is a valuable skill for preparing for adulthood, an essential employability skill, and provides greater opportunities for young people, not least increasing confidence in their abilities and reducing their sense of reliance on family members.

In line with the Council’s aims and objectives to support independence and prepare young people for adulthood, and where appropriate employment.

The Council will work in partnership with education establishments and other individuals to identify young people who could benefit from ITT and contact their families to invite them to take part in ITT.

The Council will also contact young people and their families who will be transitioning from statutory education into post-16 and above to invite them to take part in ITT.

An ITT assessment will be carried out in the home, with the support of the family, to confirm the suitability of the young person for the ITT programme, taking into account the following criteria:

• existing level of independent travel skills
• the likelihood of the pupil being eligible for SEN travel assistance under the 16 to 19 & 19-25 policy
• the age of the pupil
• the distance between home and school
• the SEND of the pupil
• the route which the young person would need to undertake
• journey times using public transport and the complexity of the journey
• the frequency of the journeys required

This assessment would take place before the pupil undertakes the ITT programme, which would last for approximately four to six weeks. During the programme, the pupil will travel to and from their education or training provision each day with their dedicated one to one ITT trainer.

During the period when a pupil is taking part in the ITT, this will be their travel assistance offer. At the end of the ITT programme, the Council will review the pupil’s progress with the family to decide if it is appropriate for the pupil to continue to travel independently. If it is not appropriate for the pupil to travel independently, their previous travel assistance offer will be reinstated. Although it is expected that the majority of young people would benefit from ITT, it is acknowledged that for some young people, due to the nature of their SEND, ITT will not be appropriate.