Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director, Community and Children’s Services.

The Committee received a report of the Executive Director, Community and Children’s Services, in response to a request from the Chair of the Safeguarding Sub Committee, to provide Care Leavers with annual travel cards.  Members noted that the London-wide Children in Care Council (CiCC) had been negotiating with Transport for London to provide free/low cost annual travel cards.  However, this was yet to be agreed, with the current offer being a 50% discount. 

Members noted that the provision of ‘all zones’ travel cards would cost in the region £160,000, whereas the bus pass option would cost just £30,000 pa.   In response to a question from the Chair in respect of available resources for the use of travel cards, rather than bus passes, the Chamberlain advised that there is currently no funding for this proposal.  Therefore, a permanent local offer would need to be prioritised within the existing risk budget, and this had been flagged as a pressure in a submission to the Resource Allocation Sub Committee.

RESOLVED, that:

1.         Costs for annual bus passes be approved for all care leavers, for one year, whilst the London CiCC negotiates with TfL (allowing for up to 18 months if negotiations are extended).

2.   It be noted that the provision of bus passes for care leavers, as part of the City Corporation’s permanent local offer, would need to prioritised within the existing local risk budget.