Social Services Transport
Transport for adults is currently being re-shaped by:
· The Modernisation Agenda, which includes:
u Promoting independence for adults by placing more emphasis on independent travel using the local public transport network, and less dependence on ‘labelled/branded’ transport provided by the local authority.
u The provision of user centred services for adults, and a move towards the provision of these within the local community rather than through day centres.
u The improvement of protection for children, in which transport plays a crucial part.
· The Agenda for Valuing People, following the Government White Paper which says that people with learning disabilities should have rights, be included, have choice and independence.
· The Gershon recommendations for improving efficiency in the public/local authority sector, which require savings of 2.5% each year from ‘back room’ services. As transport is a derived demand, rather than an end in itself, it should be one of the areas being targeted by organisations.
All of these developments impact on the provision of transport for adults and children in care. Travel patterns are changing from the “many to one” nature of the day centre, towards “many to many”, affecting vehicle occupancy, fleet size, and fleet mix. This in turn influences resource requirements and costs, both in terms of drivers, passenger assistants and the type of vehicle required with a move away from the 16 seat minibus towards smaller accessible vehicles.
Where transport is provided by the local authority, either directly or indirectly, there is a need to re-think the branding issues and to move away from the ‘Social Services Bus’. The costs of transport provision need to be reviewed to ensure that it is provided in the most efficient way possible, whilst continuing to meet the Duty of Care requirements in full.
TAS has a strong track record of reviewing local authority Social Services transport, and releasing substantial savings whilst meeting all of the other objectives identified above.