Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) are public documents. EIAs accompanying reports going to County Councillors for decisions are published with the committee papers on our website and are available in hard copy at the relevant meeting. To help people to find completed EIAs we also publish them in the Equality and Diversity section of our website. This will help people to see for themselves how we have paid due regard in order to meet statutory requirements.
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Name of Directorate and Service Area |
Inclusion - CYPS |
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Lead Officer and contact details |
Jane Le Sage, AD Inclusion |
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Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA |
Gail Chester - SEND Transport Manager |
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How will you pay due regard? For example, working group, individual officer |
The activity around solo traveller reduction was identified in the Focus review process as an area of further exploration. The process will be a joint working group with IPT and SEND Transport |
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When did the due regard process start? |
The process will begin following the September transfer window expected second week of October with a final report anticipated in early 2020 |
Section 1. Please describe briefly what this EIA is about. (for example, are you starting a new service, changing how you do something, stopping doing something?)
This EIA is about the reviewing the process and rationale of solo travellers in home to school transport. Looking at the decision making process and how any reduction can be made to better integrate pupils in shared transport with a focus on reducing the number of vehicles required. This project will continue to meet the requirement of providing travel arrangements as a statutory requirement, as governed by the Education Act 1996. However, these duties will be carried out in conjunction with the duties for sustainable transport with the aim to reduce the environmental impact of excessive vehicle requirement where possible.
Section 2. Why is this being proposed? What are the aims? What does the authority hope to achieve by it? (for example, to save money, meet increased demand, do things in a better way.)
The project aims to rationalise and reduce the number of solo travellers in SEND home to school transport. In March 2019 this was 288. The cost of transport for these pupils was equating to 48 per cent of the overall expenditure on Home to School transport within SEND.
By reviewing the 288 individual arrangements, we will either find share provision which the individual will move in to, or be able to rationalise the reason for the solo vehicle requirement.
The Local Authority must ensure its Home to School Transport is fit for purpose and is compliant with the legal requirements and code of practice, this included consideration for environment impact and economical value for money.
Section 3. What will change? What will be different for customers and/or staff?
Transport for solo travellers will only be assessed via the following criteria:
- the person poses a risk to either themselves or other travellers – in which case a Risk assessment will be generated and reviewed on a periodic timeframe
- the person is on a reduced timetable due to medical or transitional need, this will be reviewed on a 2-6 week basis
- the person is the only pupil attending the school in receipt of transport and no other transport provision is available
- the person is the only pupil attending a school whose home address has no other pupil within range and permitted travel time
- existing transport arrangements are full and unable to accommodate, this will be reviewed at the next full school transport review.
If a person does not meet any of the above – shared transport arrangements will be awarded.
Section 4. Involvement and consultation (What involvement and consultation has been done regarding the proposal and what are the results? What consultation will be needed and how will it be done?)
No consultation with the public is required as this is a review of process and not a change of policy.
All internal stakeholders have been included in the focus review process with a clear acknowledgment that the solo travellers need reviewing to ensure that the agreed criteria is applied.
Section 5. What impact will this proposal have on council budgets? Will it be cost neutral, have increased cost or reduce costs?
The reduction of the transport expenditure will only be achieved if any person is able to move into solo transport. It is anticipated that following the further in-depth analysis that we may achieve in the region of 15 - 25 pupil reduction.
Review 2022
Due to the ongoing pandemic, the authority may increase solo travellers as a result of government Covid guidance and an increased demand on SEN for specialist places which are resulting in new school settings been sourced with no other passengers available.
Section 6. How will this proposal affect people with protected characteristics?
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Section 6. How will this proposal affect people with protected characteristics? |
No impact |
Make things better |
Make things worse |
Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc. |
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Age |
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X |
This review will be for pupils between 4-25 years of age, all pupils will still receive travel arrangement under the statutory duty, however, this may result in changes to their current arrangements |
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Disability |
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X |
This review will be for pupils with Special Education Needs or Disability. All pupils will still receive travel arrangement under the statutory duty, however, this may result in changes to their current arrangements |
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Sex |
X |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact on SEND pupils. |
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Race |
X |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact on SEND pupils |
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Gender Reassignment |
X |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact on SEND pupils |
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Sexual orientation |
X |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact on SEND pupils |
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Religion or belief |
X |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact on SEND pupils |
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Pregnancy or maternity |
X |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact on SEND pupils |
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Marriage or civil partnership |
X |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact on SEND pupils |
Section 7. How will this proposal affect people
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Section 7. How will this proposal affect people who… |
No impact |
Make things better |
Make things worse |
Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc |
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Live in a rural area? |
X |
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No impact as pupils who live in rural areas may fulfil the above criteria, or have a shared Page 4 transport provision available, as the reviews are based on an individual basis and arrangement will continue within the permitted time allocation for transport |
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…have a low income? |
X |
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Low income families have an additional eligibility offer within the statutory duty in which travel arrangement must be made |
Section 8. Will the proposal affect anyone more because of a combination of protected characteristics? (for example, older women or young gay men) State what you think the effect may be and why, providing evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.
No, no combination identified.
Section 9. Next steps to address the anticipated impact. Select one of the following options and explain why this has been chosen. (Remember: we have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services and work for us)
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Section 9. Next steps to address the anticipated impact. Select one of the following options and explain why this has been chosen. (Remember: we have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services and work for us) |
Tick option chosen |
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1. No adverse impact - no major change needed to the proposal. There is no potential for discrimination or adverse impact identified |
X |
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2. Adverse impact - adjust the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We will change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, or we will achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people. |
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3. Adverse impact - continue the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We cannot change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, nor can we achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people. (There must be compelling reasons for continuing with proposals which will have the most adverse impacts. Get advice from Legal Services) |
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4. Actual or potential unlawful discrimination - stop and remove the proposal – The EIA identifies actual or potential unlawful discrimination. It must be stopped. |
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Explanation of why option has been chosen. (Include any advice given by Legal Services.) The reason why ‘No adverse impact’ has been selected on the solo traveller project. This project is simply to review current arrangements for solo travellers and whether the circumstances are still justifying this travel arrangement to discharge the LA’s statutory duties to those pupils. There will be no removal of travel arrangements being provided, however balancing our statutory duties there may be changes to how those duties are best discharged in accordance with legislation, statutory guidance and our Home to School Transport Policy. |
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Section 10. If the proposal is to be implemented how will you find out how it is really affecting people? (How will you monitor and review the changes?)
The project will have reduced the number of solo occupancy school transport vehicles. There will be no removal of travel arrangements being provided to eligible pupils, and therefore there will be no disruption to a pupil’s attendance.
Section 11. Action plan. List any actions you need to take which have been identified in this EIA, including post implementation review to find out how the outcomes have been achieved in practice and what impacts there have actually been on people with protected characteristics.
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Section 11. Action plan. List any actions you need to take which have been identified in this EIA, including post implementation review to find out how the outcomes have been achieved in practice and what impacts there have actually been on people with protected characteristics. |
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Action |
Lead |
By when |
Progress |
Monitoring arrangements |
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Section 12. Summary (Summarise the findings of your EIA, including impacts, recommendation in relation to addressing impacts, including any legal advice, and next steps. This summary should be used as part of the report to the decision maker.)
Home to school transport is a statutory requirement and a demand led service, a significant proportion of the service which the Local Authority provides is governed by legislation with no options to adjust /remove this from eligible pupils.
The Home to School transport budget is significantly overspent, with a forecast for the rise in demand to continue and therefore the Local Authority has a responsibility to review existing arrangement to ensure that the transport is:
- Fit for purpose
- Cost effective
- Environmental impact considered.
The project is to ensure we are meeting our responsibilities in arranging Home to school Transport in a sustainable manner.
Section 13. Sign off section
This full EIA was completed by: Gail Chester
Name: Gail Chester
Job title: SEND Transport Manager
Directorate: Children and Young People’s Services
Signature: Gail Chester
Completion date: 6 January 2022
Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature): Jane Le Sage
Date: 6 January 2020