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0045 2025/26
16/10/2025
Children and Young People
All wards
Alteration to the mileage rate for personalised travel budgets.
Following public consultation and Cabinet approval of the SEND Home to School Transport Policy it was agreed that a rate of 52p a mile would apply to the initiative of implementing personalised travel budgets. Having completed further financial modelling and having consulted with other Council's across the city region the programme board has agreed to uplift the mileage rate from 52p per mile up to £1 per mile depending on individual circumstances and following negotiation with parent/carers.
Following the outcome of the public consultation and more in depth financial modelling the board were concerned that the rate of personalised budgets on offer would not provide significant enough appeal for individuals to transfer over from home to school transport to a personalised travel budget. An options paper was presented to the Programme Board setting out three models for the calculation of personalised budgets to the programme board and it was agreed that option 1 would apply to amend the rate to up to £1 per mile, see details below: 52p per mile results in average budgets of circa £1,900 per individual. The total annual costs for our target group of sole travellers is, currently £915k and, assuming 100% take up, would reduce costs to c£81k per annum and lead to a savings of circa 90% (£833k) per annum. However, the offer to individuals is rather low and in many instances and may not provide significant enough appeal for individuals to transfer over from arranged transport to personal budgets. There are eight individuals whose current transport provision costs the Council over £30k per annum. These parents/carers and individuals are likely to need significant budget offers to support them to take on travel to school themselves. An offer of up to £1 per mile has the potential (assuming full take up of the offer) to save up to 79% of the current amount spent.
As part of the strategy to to increase the levels of independence for young people with SEND needs coupled with the need to bring the SEND transport budget under control it is recommended to uplift the original personalised budget rate proposed of 52p per mile up to a maximum of £1 per mile in order to encourage uptake of the initiative.
For the reasons set out within this proposal it is recommended that the initially proposed mileage rate of 52p per mile is insufficient to and a more attractive offer is necessary to encourage parent and carers to relinquish existing solo transport arrangements in favour of a personalised travel budget. This initiative will also support parent/cares autonomy to align their transport arrangements in line with their own personal circumstances.
The risk of not implementing this uplift in mileage rate may not achieve the required savings target as there is no guarantee that parent/cares will take up this offer. Based on calculations should every solo traveller accepted the offer this has the potential to deliver savings in the region of 79% of the current solo transport budget.
This decision will mitigate the significant risk of a lack of uptake of the offer a personalised travel budget as an alternative to receiving home to school transport.
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Please contact Jason Pickett on 01744 671632
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