To discuss areas of child safety, child welfare, complaints and working with Southwark council.
Minutes:
The commission first heard from Dan Hardy, Director of Operations for Southeast London, representing HATS- home to school transport for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), delivered in Southwark.
Dan provided an overview of HATS’ role and operations, highlighting the following key points:
· Service and operational context
Ø HATS provides home-to-school transport for SEND pupils on behalf of Southwark Council, alongside patient transport and mental health transport for the NHS.
Ø The home-to-school service is highly time?compressed, with most journeys taking place in a short morning and afternoon window, making the service more operationally pressured than patient transport which is spread across the day.
Ø There is a national driver shortage. HATS has mitigated this by upskilled drivers with lower license categories, which has helped stabilise staffing over the last 12 months.
· Relationship with the council and management changes
Ø HATS reported that Southwark officers are generally responsive to concerns.
Ø A recent change in council management – a new lead officer (Susanna) – has led to better?defined processes and improved communication between HATS and the local authority, which has been well received by HATS staff.
· Complaint and communication improvements
Ø HATS recognised that communication with parents and response times to complaints needed improvement.
Ø Together with the council, HATS has introduced an internal key performance indicator (KPI) requiring a three?day response to complaints, unless a longer time is needed due to complex investigation (e.g. checking tracking or CCTV).
Ø This has contributed to reduced parental anxiety and more timely feedback when concerns are raised.
· Technology – parent app, Cordic and AI?enabled CCTV
Ø HATS has deployed a parent app that:
§ Allows parents to log in to see the location of the vehicle
§ Enables HATS to send messages to specific routes (e.g. delays, changes).
Ø Some parents have found the app challenging to use. When issues are reported, HATS now calls parents back, talks through their experience and guides them through the process, leading to fewer repeat calls and lower call volumes.
Ø HATS uses Cordic transport software; drivers use personal digital assistants (PDAs) to record pick?ups and “no pick?ups”. HATS is working on improved reporting so that attendance and absence data can be shared more systematically with the council.
Ø Vehicles are being fitted with AI?enabled CCTV which:
§ Detects unsafe driver behaviour (e.g. using the PDA or phone while driving, speeding, aggressive driving) and sends alerts.
§ Enables faster, evidence?based investigations of incidents and complaints.
§ Automatically blurs children’s faces, so staff reviewing footage cannot identify individual children.
Ø HATS acknowledged the system is expensive but concluded it “pays dividends” in safeguarding, investigations and staff management.
· Safeguarding, training and incident management
Ø All staff working on home to school routes undergo DBS checks.
Ø Passenger assistants receive PATS (Passenger Assistant Training) plus safeguarding and first aid training. Drivers receive MiDAS (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme) training, covering:
§ Vehicle safety checks
§ Safe driving
§ Securing wheelchairs and specialist equipment
§ Interactions with children and young people with SEND.
Ø For children with complex medical needs, staff receive additional training, for example in administering medications, using EpiPens, and other specific requirements.
Ø HATS aims to provide consistent drivers and PAs on each route, with staff annual leave usually taken outside term?time to minimise disruption.
Ø Dan described how staff manage challenging incidents on vehicles, such as:
§ Children removing clothing
§ Fighting between pupils
§ Spitting or other difficult behaviours.
Ø In such cases:
§ The driver must pull over safely if a child is unrestrained.
§ The PA attempts to de?escalate and distract the child, while preserving safety and dignity.
§ The driver contacts the HATS office, which liaises with the council; where necessary, parents may be asked to attend.
§ Physical intervention is avoided where possible and is left to staff judgement in situations of immediate risk.
· Route planning, journey length and absences
Ø Southwark Council plans routes, which are then risk?assessed by HATS, especially where routes are new or complex.
Ø The standard approach is for children to travel to and from school on the same route with the same crew, although there are anomalies (e.g. after?school clubs, respite placements).
Ø Standard journey?time limits are:
§ 45 minutes for younger children
§ 75 minutes for older pupils.
Ø If there is no answer at the door, this can significantly disrupt routes. HATS will:
§ Attempt to confirm the child’s status (e.g. illness)
§ Notify the council
§ Record a “no pick?up” in the system via Cordic.
Ø Pricing arrangements vary between local authorities (e.g. route?based vs per?child charging). Dan was not able to give precise details for Southwark’s model but noted that in some cases a child’s absence may result in a reduced cost where a per?child element applies.
· Staffing, pay and ratios
Ø For Southwark’s home to school contract:
§ PSV?licensed drivers are paid £15.40 per hour.
§ Non?PSV drivers and passenger assistants are paid at London Living Wage.
Ø As a default, there is one PA to a maximum of nine pupils on a vehicle.
Ø Routes are risk?assessed: some may have a second PA, and in rare cases a single child with highly complex needs may be supported by two PAs.
· Family members on vehicles
Ø HATS does not routinely allow family members to accompany children on vehicles because of:
§ Capacity constraints
§ DBS and safeguarding considerations
§ The need to be consistent between families.
Ø However, individual cases can be considered in collaboration with the council.
· Travel assistance consultation and independent travel
Ø Members noted that the council had launched a consultation on travel assistance for young people on the day of the meeting, including proposals to:
§ Promote public transport and independent travel where appropriate
§ Consider pick?up points instead of door?to?door collection.
Ø Dan observed that:
§ Many children are eager to develop independence; parental anxiety is often the main barrier.
§ Travel training programmes need to communicate closely with parents and show positive outcomes for children.
§ Pick?up point models, piloted elsewhere, have been operationally feasible but unpopular with parents, and require clear leadership and communication.
· Cost, quality and contract management
Ø The commission noted concerns about the balance between cost and quality in a privately operated service that was previously run in?house.
Ø Dan reported that HATS has regular monthly contract meetings with the council and that value?for?money and quality are reviewed at least annually.
Commission discussion and conclusions
· Questioned HATS on staff vetting, training, pay and support given the complex behaviours they handle.
· Sought clarification on route design, journey length limits, attendance recording and charging models.
· Explored HATS’ experience of independent travel training and parental concerns, noting the relevance for the council’s travel assistance consultation.
· Raised broader concerns about how the council assures quality and safeguarding in a privately delivered service.
The commission noted:
· The operational improvements introduced by HATS and the council, including the three?day complaints KPI, the parent app and AI?enabled vehicle monitoring.
· The sensitivities for parents of SEND children and the importance of clear, timely communication and robust safeguarding.
· Recommendations to Cabinet are likely to include:
Ø Ensuring that all staff working on Southwark’s home-to-school contract are paid at least London Living Wage, recognising the complexity and responsibility of the work.
Ø Exploring whether joint procurement or purchasing frameworks with other boroughs could improve value for money without compromising quality.
Ø Ensuring that the travel assistance consultation and subsequent policy incorporate learning from HATS’ experience, including:
§ The central importance of parental reassurance and communication in independent travel training
§ Careful piloting and evaluation of pick?up point models for SEND pupils.
The commission thanked Dan Hardy for his attendance and contribution.