Sefton Council has today launched a formal consultation on its Travel Support Service and is calling on families, young people and carers across the borough to share their views and help co-produce a service that works for everyone.

Personalised Transport 

The consultation is part of a wider improvement programme aimed at making the Travel Support Service smarter, more flexible, and more personalised—without changing who is eligible for support.

Over recent months, Sefton Council’s Travel Support Team has been working closely with the Sefton Parent Carer Forum and local families to explore ways to improve the service. These early discussions led to a series of practical proposals, known as ‘quick wins’, designed to enhance choice, deliver better value for money and offer more personalised travel options.

Quick Wins

Key elements of the ‘quick wins’ include:

• Introducing Independent Travel Training for young people
• Enhancing the Personal Travel Budget offer to increase flexibility for families
• Improving communication and engagement
• Streamlining application processes and journey planning with improved systems

The formal consultation aims to give parents, carers and young people the chance to have their say on these proposals and will be open for a month to allow people to give their considered and honest feedback.

Cllr Diane Roscoe, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families said:

“We’ve worked hard to co-produce practical, people-focused improvements alongside parents, carers and young people and now we want to hear from more families to make sure our final plans reflect what they really need.

“When Travel Support is done right, it helps children and young people get to school in a way that suits them best, gives them a chance to gain some independence and provides flexibility and consistency to families as well as being good value for money for us so that we can continue to provide this service to the families who need it.

“I would urge anyone who has some involvement with the Travel Support Service to take part in this consultation to make sure we are making change for the better than works for families here in Sefton and that we build that change together.”

Ongoing Co-production

This formal consultation is the latest stage in process that began early this year when the team tested some of these ideas directly with families through engagement events, a questionnaire and feedback sessions. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with unanimous support for greater flexibility and personalised options. At the same time, families raised important concerns about the pace of change and the need for ongoing support for children during any transition—feedback that has been built into the proposals.

This consultation marks a crucial step in Sefton’s goal to deliver a travel support offer that meets the needs of local families now and in the future. It also ensures that final decisions reflect the real-life experiences of those who use the service every day.

Accessible Consultation

To make the consultation process as accessible as possible, Sefton Council has:

• Developed explainer videos and easy read materials
• Partnered with Young Advisors and booked bespoke school workshops
• Provided online access to the consultation proposals as well as in person engagement sessions, details of which will be promoted on social media and directly to parents/carers via the Sefton Parent Carer Forum

In Person Engagement

We will be hosting a number of in person engagement sessions at:

Southport Library, 11th June, 10:30am-12:30pm

Crosby Library, 16th June, 2pm-4pm

Bootle Library, 1st July 10:30am-12:30pm

The survey opens today (4^th June) and will close on the 2^nd July and can be found at https://yourseftonyoursay.sefton.gov.uk/strategic-support/travel-support-service-improvement-review/  or in our libraries and town halls for a paper copy.