Use of an EHCP SEND Personal Transport Budget to to cover the cost of accommodation as as an alternative 'non-transport' option
Dear Nottinghamshire County Council,
For individuals with an EHCP, local authorities may provide a Personal Transport Budget (PTB) as an alternative to traditional transport arrangements. This budget can be used to cover costs associated with travel to educational settings, including potentially funding private/student accommodation if it serves as a more suitable option for the learner due to their physical or mental health challenges, the distance from home making daily travel exhausting or impractical, the need for provision available only at certain institutions located far from home.
AI reports that Nottinghamshire County Council has provisions for PTBs under their SEN transport policy. While specific examples of funding private accommodation are not in the public domain, parents have reported using PTBs to cover costs associated with living closer to educational institutions when daily commuting proves impractical due to the learner’s needs: to facilitating attendance and enable a learner's full participation in learning where a post 19 learner/relevant young adult learner is otherwise unable to access the educational/training provision commissioned in their EHCP, minimising learner stress, preserving a learner's physical/mental health and wellbeing.
This flexible approach to meeting individual needs also cuts transport costs which - if funding daily taxis and/or PA support for a long and complex commute might well cost well in excess of any accommodation funded.
Ai reports similar consideration of individual circumstances in Birmingham City Counicl, Coventry City Council, Salford City Council, Manchester City Council, and other London Boroughs (Islington, Camden, Southwark)
1. Can you please confirm whether or not there is a framework within your SEND Personal Transport Budgets which allow for PTBs to be used - and under what specific circumstances - to fund private/student accommodation nearby to a setting - as an 'alternative non transport based solution'
2. (a) Please confirm - how many Personal Transport Budgets have been awarded in each of the past 5 years and how many have been used in this way to allow for funding of accommodation. (b) Please provide anonymised examples.
3. (a) Please state how such alternative non-transport based solutions are made explicit within your post 16/post 19 SEND Travel Policy in line with DfE Home to School Transport Statutory Guidance. (b) How do families make a request as part of your SEND Home To School Transport / EHCP Annual Review processes.
4. Please can you confirm details of any budgetary saving calculations projected or reported associated with the award of Personal Transport Budgets for accommodation nearby a learner's educational provision versus the cost of funding a long and complex daily commute.
Yours faithfully,
Allison Milligan
Dear Allison Milligan
We acknowledge receipt of your email to Nottinghamshire County Council:
Freedom of Information request - Use of an EHCP SEND Personal Transport
Budget to to cover the cost of accommodation as as an alternative
non-transport option
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Complaints and Information
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Dear Requester,
Request FOI/5150
Further to your request received on 12th December 2024, I confirm that the
Council has now considered your request under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000/Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
Q) For individuals with an EHCP, local authorities may provide a Personal
Transport Budget (PTB) as an alternative to traditional transport
arrangements. This budget can be used to cover costs associated with
travel to educational settings, including potentially funding
private/student accommodation if it serves as a more suitable option for
the learner due to their physical or mental health challenges, the
distance from home making daily travel exhausting or impractical, the need
for provision available only at certain institutions located far from
home.
A.I. reports that Nottinghamshire County Council has provisions for PTBs
under their SEN transport policy. While specific examples of funding
private accommodation are not in the public domain, parents have reported
using PTBs to cover costs associated with living closer to educational
institutions when daily commuting proves impractical due to the learner’s
needs: to facilitating attendance and enable a learners full participation
in learning where a post 19 learner/relevant young adult learner is
otherwise unable to access the educational/training provision commissioned
in their EHCP, minimising learner stress, preserving a learners
physical/mental health and wellbeing.
This flexible approach to meeting individual needs also cuts transport
costs which - if funding daily taxis and/or PA support for a long and
complex commute might well cost well in excess of any accommodation
funded.
Ai reports similar consideration of individual circumstances in Birmingham
City Council, Coventry City Council, Salford City Council, Manchester City
Council, and other London Boroughs (Islington, Camden, Southwark)
1. Can you please confirm whether or not there is a framework within your
SEND Personal Transport Budgets which allow for PTBs to be used, and under
what specific circumstances i.e., to fund private/student accommodation
nearby to a setting, as an alternative non transport based solution? Not
part of the provisions made under Nottinghamshire County Council’s PTB
2. (a) Please confirm how many 'Personal Transport Budget's have been
awarded in each of the past 5 years, and how many have been used in this
way to allow for funding of accommodation? (b) Please provide anonymised
examples.
a.
I. We do not hold this data
II. No PTBs used for Accommodation – not part of the PTB provision
b. NCC does not offer this
3. (a) Please state how such alternative non-transport based solutions are
made explicit within your post 16/post 19 SEND Travel Policy in line with
DfE Home to School Transport Statutory Guidance? (b) How do families make
a request as part of your SEND Home to School Transport / EHCP Annual
Review processes? Not included in our provisions for PTB for questions (a)
and (b).
4. Please can you confirm details of any budgetary saving calculations
projected or reported associated with the award of Personal Transport
Budgets for accommodation nearby a learner’s educational provision versus
the cost of funding a long and complex daily commute? Not included in our
provisions for PTB.
We hope you find this information useful.
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Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information
Complaints and Information Team
Chief Executives Department
Nottinghamshire County Council
The Council is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring all
personal information is kept confidential and safe. For more details see
our general and service specific privacy notices
at: [4]https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/globa...
Nottinghamshire County Council is committed to protecting your privacy and
ensuring all personal information is kept confidential and safe – for more
details see [5]https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/globa...
Nottinghamshire County Council Legal Disclaimer.
Emails and any attachments from Nottinghamshire County Council are
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the
sender immediately by replying to the email, and then delete it without
making copies or using it in any other way. Senders and recipients of
email should be aware that, under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, the contents may have to be disclosed in
response to a request.
Although any attachments to the message will have been checked for viruses
before transmission, you are urged to carry out your own virus check
before opening attachments, since the County Council accepts no
responsibility for loss or damage caused by software viruses.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/media...
2. mailto:[email%20address]
3. https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/foi-...
4. https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/globa...
5. https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/globa...
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