Equality impact assessment (EIA) form: evidencing paying due regard to protected characteristics

(Form updated October 2023)

Home to School Transport – Contribution Charge 2026-27

If you would like this information in another language or format such as Braille, large print or audio, please contact the Communications Unit on 01609 53 2013 or email communications@northyorks.gov.uk.

Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) are public documents.  EIAs accompanying reports going to County Councillors for decisions are published with the committee papers on our website and are available in hard copy at the relevant meeting.  To help people to find completed EIAs we also publish them in the Equality and Diversity section of our website.  This will help people to see for themselves how we have paid due regard in order to meet statutory requirements. 

Name of Directorate and Service Area	CYPS – ChildrensPartnerships and Sufficiency
Lead Officer and contact details	Jon Holden, Head of School Organisation and Transport
Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA
How will you pay due regard? e.g. working group, individual officer	Contribution rates are determined annually, and the issue is monitored via the Home to School Transport Board
When did the due regard process start?	The process is ongoing

Section 1. Please describe briefly what this EIA is about. (e.g. are you starting a new service, changing how you do something, stopping doing something?)

This EIA relates to a proposed increase to the contribution rates (charges) to students and pupils who utilise the home to school transport arrangements provided by the council either: -

· to access Post 16 education; or

· to access mainstream schools using spare capacity

The proposed increase has been considered within the context of the Council’s policies for: -

· Home to School Travel

· Post 16 Travel; and

· Fees and Charges

Section 2. Why is this being proposed? What are the aims? What does the authority hope to achieve by it? (e.g. to save money, meet increased demand, do things in a better way.)

The council’s expenditure in respect of Home to School Travel increased by 74% between 2020-21 and 2025-26, and the budget continues to experience considerable financial pressure.

The proposed increase is designed to ensure the fee income arising from the contribution rate charges provides a contribution to the budget in line with inflation.

Section 3. What will change? What will be different for customers and/or staff?

This EIA relates to the proposed increase in the contribution rate (charge) only.  The charge will increase from £818 to £846 per annum.

Section 4. Involvement and consultation (What involvement and consultation has been done regarding the proposal and what are the results? What consultation will be needed and how will it be done?)

None undertaken.

Section 5. What impact will this proposal have on council budgets? Will it be cost neutral, have increased cost or reduce costs?

Subject to: -

· The number of post 16 students who wish to purchase a permit; and

· The extent of spare capacity within home to school transport that is commissioned for eligible pupils, and the extent to which non-eligible pupils wish to purchase permits to use that capacity

The proposed increase has the potential to increase the income received by the council through contributions.

Section 6. How will this proposal affect people with protected characteristics?	No impact	Make things better	Make things worse	Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.
Age			ü	The proposed increase will apply to the young people who utilise either Post 16 transport or other spare capacity on a paid for basis.
Disability	ü			It is not anticipated that there would be an identifiable impact on the users of home to school transport as a result of their disability arising from the proposed increase
Sex	ü			It is not anticipated that there would be an identifiable impact on the users of home to school transport as a result of their sex arising from the proposed increase
Race	ü			It is not anticipated that there would be an identifiable impact on the users of home to school transport as a result of their race arising from the proposed increase
Gender reassignment	ü			It is not anticipated that there would be an identifiable impact on the users of home to school transport as a result of gender reassignment arising from the proposed increase
Sexual orientation	ü			It is not anticipated that there would be an identifiable impact on the users of home to school transport as a result of their sexual orientation arising from the proposed increase
Religion or belief	ü			It is not anticipated that there would be an identifiable impact on the users of home to school transport as a result of their religion or belief arising from the proposed increase
Pregnancy or maternity	ü			It is not anticipated that there would be an identifiable impact on the users of home to school transport as a result of pregnancy arising from the proposed increase
Marriage or civil partnership	ü			It is not anticipated that there would be an identifiable impact on the users of home to school transport as a result of their marital status arising from the proposed increase

Section 7. How will this proposal affect people who…	No impact	Make things better	Make things worse	Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.
..live in a rural area?			ü	The majority of pupils who access Home to School travel on a paid for basis reside in a rural area within North Yorkshire.  As a result people who live in a rural area are disproportionately affected by any increase in the contribution rate.
…have a low income?	ü			The council will continue to apply a reduction to pupils and students from low income families. It is not anticipated that there would be a disproportionate impact upon pupils and students from low income families
…are carers (unpaid family or friend)?	ü			It is not anticipated that there would be a disproportionate impact upon people who are carers
….. are from the Armed Forces Community	ü			It is not anticipated that there would be a disproportionate impact upon people who are from the armed forces community

Section 8. Geographic impact – Please detail where the impact will be (please tick all that apply)
North Yorkshire wide	ü
Craven
Hambleton
Harrogate
Richmondshire
Ryedale
Scarborough
Selby
If you have ticked one or more areas, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below.

Section 9. Will the proposal affect anyone more because of a combination of protected characteristics? (e.g. older women or young gay men) State what you think the effect may be and why, providing evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.

None.

Section 10. Next steps to address the anticipated impact. Select one of the following options and explain why this has been chosen. (Remember: we have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services and work for us)	Tick option chosen
1. No adverse impact - no major change needed to the proposal. There is no potential for discrimination or adverse impact identified.
2. Adverse impact - adjust the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We will change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, or we will achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people.
3. Adverse impact - continue the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We cannot change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, nor can we achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people. (There must be compelling reasons for continuing with proposals which will have the most adverse impacts. Get advice from Legal Services)	ü
4. Actual or potential unlawful discrimination - stop and remove the proposal – The EIA identifies actual or potential unlawful discrimination. It must be stopped.
Explanation of why option has been chosen. (Include any advice given by Legal Services.) This assessment has identified that an increase in the contribution rate charged to Post 16 students, and for paid permits will have an adverse impact upon: - · Young people and their families; and · People living in rural areas This impact reflects the nature of home to school travel, i.e. that it is provided for eligible pupils of statutory school age and post 16 students, and that pupils / students from rural areas are disproportionately represented within the total service user group. Access to the council’s home to school travel arrangements for Post 16 students and pupils utilising a paid permit is provided on a discretionary basis in accordance with the Home to School Travel Policy The proposed increase in the charge is recommended as a result of the significant increases in the council’s expenditure in respect of home to school travel and as a mechanism for recovering a contribution towards that cost.

Section 11. If the proposal is to be implemented how will you find out how it is really affecting people? (How will you monitor and review the changes?)

The agreed increase to the contribution rates will be published after the decision by the Executive Member, and become effective from 1 September 2026.

The Home to School Transport Board will monitor any impacts arising from the increase.

Section 12. Action plan. List any actions you need to take which have been identified in this EIA, including post implementation review to find out how the outcomes have been achieved in practice and what impacts there have actually been on people with protected characteristics.
Action	Lead	By when	Progress	Monitoring arrangements

Section 13. Summary Summarise the findings of your EIA, including impacts, recommendation in relation to addressing impacts, including any legal advice, and next steps. This summary should be used as part of the report to the decision maker.

The Council’s expenditure in respect of Home to School Transport has increased significantly during the course of the last 5 years, and the budget continues to face significant pressures.

Home to school travel is provided for post 16 students, and for non-eligible pupils where capacity exists in commissioned transport on a discretionary basis.  Where this is the case the council seeks to recover a contribution to the cost of provision through the application of  the contribution charges.

Given that the charge relates to home to school travel this increase has a disproportionate effect upon young people, and their families.

However, the proposed increase is considered to be required within the context of the continued pressure upon the Council’s Home to School Travel budge, and is in line with inflation.

Section 14. Sign off section

This full EIA was completed by:

Name: Jon Holden

Job title: Head of School Organisation and Transport, CYPS

Directorate: CYPS

Signature: Jon Holden

Completion date: 20 April 2026

Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature): Jo Heaney

Date: 20 April 2026