The Audit Commission has been examining transport arrangements made by local authorities and health bodies in England and Wales to take people to education, social services and hospitals. The work has focused on home-to-school transport, social services transport and non-emergency patient transport in the National Health Service.
This report contains recommendations for action by central government and by local government and the health service. As the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has been examining travel support arrangements for students above the statutory school age (that is, who are aged 16 and over) the Commission's work on transport to education focuses particularly on travel by pupils aged under 16.
In addition to this overall report, the Commission is also to issue four separate handbooks focusing in more detail on the management and operational aspects of transport provision for: home-to-school transport for children with special educational needs; mainstream home-to-school transport; social services transport; and non-emergency patient transport. Each handbook contains examples of good practice together with self-assessment checklists.