Council Teams meet for School Transport workshop

The Transformation Team recently brought together departments from across the Council for a School Transport Workshop.

Designed to explore opportunities for collaboration, the event included staff from Social Services, Learning and Skills, Highways and more.

The aim was to build stronger connections between teams operating in the same area and encourage greater partnership working.

Such a move is at the heart of the new Corporate Plan and Reshaping Programme as the Council looks for the most efficient way to deliver services to best serve Vale of Glamorgan residents.

Transformation Lead Emily Woodley said: “It was great to sit down with colleagues from a range of Council areas and discuss a subject that impacts all their work in one way or another.

“Sharing ideas, understanding different perspectives and working in unison to achieve common goals is absolutely central to the transformation approach.

“There were so many interesting contributions made, points that we can now reflect on as we look to improve the way in which school transport is delivered.

“The goal is to operate in the best way possible, one that benefits the Council as a whole, the people that use this service and also the various departments involved in providing it.

“Considering a subject collectively and planning collaboratively is a great way to expand knowledge and spot improvements that can be made.

“This was a really useful exercise that will lead to significant positive change. It also lays the foundations for similar events focusing on other topics to be held in the future.”

Providing school transport comes at a significant cost to the Council and is an area that is currently £1 million over budget.

Demand for it is also likely to increase in the coming years as the number of children with Additional Learning Needs (ALNs) grows.

The possibility of both primary and secondary school pupils traveling along the same routes was discussed.

Using Council vehicles to provide school transport was another conversation point, while the question of whether travel arrangements for children with ALNs could be better tailored to encourage independence was also raised.

The most promising ideas from the day are now being developed and will be presented to the Strategic Leadership Team later this month.