PARENT/CARER TRANSPORT FORUM

1. PARENT/CARER TRANSPORT FORUM Thursday 8th November 2018

2. AGENDA • Welcome and introductions • Overview of the Transport Coordination Centre • Q & A • SEND Travel Assistance Team • Q & A • Independent Travel Training • Q & A • SEND Strategy Consultation • Q & A

3. OVERVIEW OF THE TRANSPORT SERVICE • Transport Coordination Centre (TCC) - Delivery Team - Contracts & Control Team • Scale of home to school/college transport - c. 3000 SEND pupils and 900 mainstream • 1400+ routes • Total annual spend around £30m+ • How it works? Who else is involved?

4. SELECTION PROCESS TO BECOME AN APPROVED TRANSPORT SUPPLIER Tender process • Written quality submissions • Service continuity • Health & Safety • Recruitment • Customer service • Contract & performance management • Safeguarding • Data protection

5. SELECTION PROCESS TO BECOME AN APPROVED TRANSPORT SUPPLIER • Documentation checks • Licences • Insurances • Financial and organisational questionnaires • Quality submission on site audit • Vetting of drivers and passenger assistants through the TCC Authorised ID Scheme Only after they have passed these checks will they be able to bid on TCC routes

6. SERVICE STANDARDS – WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT THE VEHICLE • Must be maintained and roadworthy • Must be clean and comfortable – should provide adequate heating and ventilation • Must display the appropriate licensing plate or disk

7. SERVICE STANDARDS – WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT THE VEHICLE • No passenger under 8 years old should travel in the front seat • Only use forward facing seats with lap & diagonal seatbelts • If a car – must use childproof locks • Passenger assistants should not sit in the front seat and should be in the rear of the vehicle to assist passengers

8. SERVICE STANDARDS – WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT DRIVERS & PASSENGER ASSISTANTS • Must have a valid TCC Authorised ID badge • Drivers must be appropriately licensed • Should be professional and courteous • Must communicate and give clear verbal instructions to passengers in English

9. SERVICE STANDARDS – WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT DRIVERS & PASSENGER ASSISTANTS • Must treat all information they have on the passenger and family in the strictest confidence • Should not administer medication unless specifically authorised by the TCC to do so • Should not make any unscheduled stops • Must not cross professional boundaries with the passenger – under no circumstances should they contact passengers though calls, texts, emails or social network sites

10. SERVICE STANDARDS – WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT DRIVERS & PASSENGER ASSISTANTS • Gifts are strongly discouraged – under no circumstances should they be passed directly to the passenger. Permission should be asked and the gift should be given through the parent/guardian

11. SERVICE STANDARDS – WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT GENERAL SERVICE • Maximum of 3 driver and 3 passenger assistants per term • “Introductions” by the supplier – as a minimum a phone call to confirm contract details, pick up & drop off times, ask about the passengers specific needs or any techniques to assist them. In some instances it may be necessary to arrange for the driver and passenger assistant to visit prior to transport so they can introduce themselves to the passenger and parents/guardians • Communication of any delays • Only authorised passengers and staff should ever be in the vehicle

12. SERVICE STANDARDS – WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT GENERAL SERVICE • Drivers or passenger assistants are not expected to collect the passenger from the front door – they aren’t insured to work outside of the vehicle • The vehicle should wait up to 5 minutes – but please try to ensure the passenger is ready for their arrival • Best practice suggests that the maximum each way length of journey for a child of primary school age to be 45 minutes, and for secondary school age 75 minutes where possible. • Any alterations to the route (change of address, attendance patterns, etc.) need to be authorised through the TCC • Child safety seats are provided where we believe they are necessary

13. SERVICE STANDARDS – WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT Unfortunately this is not a tailored taxi service The pick up and drop off times are dictated by the start and end of the school day and the requirements of the route The TCC have to find the most efficient service we can across the whole county

14. SERVICE STANDARDS – WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT If you have not received these basic service standards or have any concerns then please report them so that we can manage them 0300 200 1004 (SCC Contact Centre) passenger.transport@surreycc.gov.uk

15. ONGOING MANAGEMENT TRANSPORT SUPPLIERS • 125 current transport suppliers • Monthly performance reports • Conference calls or meetings as necessary • Formal annual review meetings • Annual audits • Performance management monitored by the performance points process • Service failures can receive financial deductions, suspension from tender opportunities or removal from our contracts

16. ONGOING MANAGEMENT DRIVERS & PASSENGER ASSISTANTS • Generally self employed • Performance is monitored using the Penalty Points Scheme – part of our Code of Conduct • Service failures can be issued with penalty points • Accumulating 12 points in a rolling two year period may result in their TCC Authorised ID Badge being revoked

17. PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS • 2016/17 parent/carer survey - 25% response rate - over 80% satisfaction with transport • Planned improvements - training for transport providers - Personal Travel Plans - Your suggestions – please let us know

18. Q & A

19. Travel Assistance Team • What is the team’s role? • To apply the Travel Assistance Policy for Children and Young People with an EHCP or SSEN: 0-25 years, to assess eligibility for home to school transport. • Summary of eligibility criteria • Children need to live in Surrey and have an EHCP. • 0-5 years Discretionary (if not statutory school age) • ‘the Council will need to be satisfied that, without such assistance, the child would be prevented from attending an appropriate nursery or early years’ education placement’. • 5-16 compulsory school age; • Must attend nearest appropriate school and fulfil; • Distance criteria • SEND or mobility problems eligibility

20. Travel Assistance Team 5-16 compulsory school age continued; • Unsafe route eligibility • Extended rights eligibility (free school meals/maximum Working Tax Credit: • Accompaniment (SEND or mobility problems/ Unsafe walking route) • Post-16; • Distance (unless SEND or mobility problems) • Nearest appropriate (unless agreed otherwise) • Full time course • Not be in receipt of help towards their travel costs • Exceptional Needs; • Might include, but are not limited to: • Exceptional social or medical circumstances affecting the child/young person or their parent/carer/family members • Exceptional financial difficulties

21. What is the Travel Assistance Offer? • If eligible the following travel options are available; • Contracted Transport • Independent Travel Allowance • Option to share school runs with the council. • Assistance with getting other children/young people to school. • Support for independent travel • Independent travel training • Further information; • Web address- surreycc.gov.uk/sendtravel • Email- sendtravel.assistance@surreycc.gov.uk

22. Q & A

23. A working partnership to deliver Independent Travel Training to young people with SEND

24. What is Independent Travel Training? Travel Training helps to provide young people with SEND, the skills and confidence to travel independently on public transport. Travel training has been shown to have a positive effect on the lives of the young people who are trained, providing an invaluable life skill & helping to build their self-esteem.

25. How does it work? • Subject to completing an assessment, a young person will be paired with their own experienced trainer and will receive tailored one-to-one training to accompany them on their route to school or college. • A full risk assessment will be conducted on a safe route to school or college, and the training mentor will accompany the young person as they travel on public transport. • As the young person develops their skills they will travel more and more of the journey on their own, until they are travelling and completely independently.

26. Who is it for? • Working with young people aged 11 – 19 (or up to 25 where deemed necessary), HCT offer a one-to-one bespoke training programme to each young person on the scheme. The Travel Training is for young people who: • Are aged 11 – 19 • Live in Surrey • Have and Education and Health Care Plan • Currently use specialist transport

27. How to make a referral for a young person for travel training Contact the SEND Travel Assistance Team: Sendtravel.assistance@surreycc.gov.uk Tel: 0300 200 1004 and ask for the Travel Assistance Team.

28. For further information Contact: Shirley Moralee Independent Travel Manager Surrey shirleymoralee@hctgroup.org Telephone: 07419 348086 Find out more at: www.travel-training.org

29. Q & A

30. SEND Transformation Programme   Zarah Lowe Principle Commissioning Manager SEND 8th November 2018

31. What is the problem? (1) • The amount of funding available is not keeping pace with the level of need. • Too many children and young people with SEND and their families are disappointed with the support they receive. • Insufficient communication and involvement with families and young people. • Inefficiencies in the early identification of SEND. • There is not enough support or provision for lower level need. ​

32. What is the problem? (2) • Too many children are only accessing the support they need by getting an EHCP. • More 16-25 year olds remaining in post-16 provision with a EHCP • A disproportionate amount of our young people with SEND find themselves ‘not in education, training or employment’ (NEET) once they leave school, college, or university.

33. What is the problem? (3) • Many special schools are currently at maximum capacity and cannot meet future growth in demand without expansion. • Too many children and young people have to travel far from home in order to have their education, health and care needs met. • The attainment and progress of pupils with SEND shows wide gaps compared to other learners. • In 2017/18 53% of children and young people who were permanently excluded were categorised as having SEND.

34. What are we proposing to do? Early Identification and Support: • Ensure easier to access information through professionals who are working as one team to provide information and support. • Develop a clear and supported graduated pathway to follow when additional needs are identified. • Provide support through Education Psychology, speech and language therapy and other support will be provided at an early stage (pre-statutory) • Establish an early help behavior and emotional wellbeing pathway to support children and families at school and at home • Develop a robust outcomes framework and monitoring tool.

35. What are we proposing to do? Developing local services and managing the market • Increase our specialist school places by providing over 350 additional places over the next two years, making use of available capacity within existing schools. • Increase post-16 and post-19 pathways by creating 100 additional places and programmes over next two years . • Create an additional 120 specialist post-16 employment focused pathways, including internships, over four years • Implement a attendance monitoring system targeted to improve safeguarding and ensure best value for money. • Implement an ambitious market management strategy in order to achieve efficiencies in the non-maintained and independent sector.

36. What are we proposing to do? Partnership working: • Facilitate creation of local school clusters with a specialist hub at the centre to provide support, advice and outreach. • Develop a new school effectiveness approach with inclusion at the heart • Work with the providers of short stay schools and pupil referral units to ensure as many children are able to stay in mainstream provision as possible, reducing exclusions and absence from education. • Develop joint commissioning for children and young people with complex needs, for example, therapies and Children Adolescent and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) through new commissioning team arrangements. • Improve transition for young people and support them in preparing for adulthood

37. What are we proposing to do? Improving policy and practice: • Work with the Children’s Academy and Teaching Schools and National Leaders of Education to improve practice and the level of skills and knowledge for all those working with children and young people with SEND. • Recommission new outreach offer for our mainstream schools through Special Schools and Pupil Referral Units. • Review and streamline our processes and policies to improve management and coordination of area information and maximize the positive impact of digital technology. • Improve the help, support and development for Special Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO) through networks, training and development opportunities.

38. How will this benefit children with SEND, and their families? • Children with additional needs are identified and supported earlier • More children can live and learn closer to home  • Children will have a lifelong plan which supports successful transitions to adulthood and independence • Children and their families will have a positive experience of SEND services in Surrey • Children and their families will only have to tell their story once

39. How will we know we've made a difference? (1) • Through the number of children with SEN Support plans and measuring the impact of their plans • Through the number of requests for Education, Health and Care plans • The number of children with EHC plans who attend mainstream settings • Destination data for pupils  • The number of eligible children travelling independently or supported by their family • The average distance travelled between home and school for pupils with an EHCP

40. How will we know we've made a difference? (2) • Attainment and progress for children and young people on SEN Support and with a Statutory plan • Average number of placement changes following transition to primary or secondary school • The number of children, young people and families who say the quality of support is good • A reduction in the number of children and young people with SEND who are excluded • External placement prices

41. Next Steps Consultation: 30 October 2018 – 4 January 2019 • Strategy and five principles • Areas of transformation • The impacts on residents and partners • Analysis of feedback to inform Cabinet in January Engagement and co-design: On-going • Co-designing proposals with families and partners, including schools and health