30/06/2025
Jayson Chilvers
[FYI request #31236 email]
Tēnā koe Jayson
OIA: 1349167 – Oversight of SESTA providers
Thank you for your email of 6 June 2025 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) requesting the
following information:
1. What oversight does the ministry have over its SESTA providers?
2. Does the ministry expect there to be six monthly audits of the provider's fleet?
3. If the ministry does expect audits what do these audits entail and who conducts them?
4. If it is done by the contractor are the results of the audits passed onto the ministry?
5. Is vehicle cleanliness a priority for the ministry?
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), and has been
numbered for the purposes of this response.
In response to
parts one to four of your request, the Ministry holds contractual oversight of
Specialised School Transport Assistance (SESTA) providers.
Under their SESTA contract, providers are responsible for conducting regular internal audits of
their drivers and vehicles. These audits must verify that:
drivers hold the appropriate licences and qualifications
all drivers are vetted, including to the Children's Act 2014 standard
drivers have completed SESTA-specific training
vehicles meet New Zealand Transport Agency safety and maintenance standards.
The audits must also cover driver performance, vehicle cleanliness and adherence to SESTA
service standards. Providers must retain evidence of compliance and supply it to the Ministry upon
request.
The Ministry may also conduct its own audits once in any 12-month period, or at any time if there
are reasonable grounds to suspect non-compliance. Ministry audits, when conducted, may include:
review of documentation and compliance records
on-site
inspections
8 Gilmer Terrace, Levels Ground floor, 1, 2, and 6-14, Wellington
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
interviews or assessments of provider practices.
While the Ministry does not contractually mandate six-monthly audits, we expect that internal
audits are undertaken regularly to ensure compliance. The frequency should be sufficient to
maintain safety and service standards, and SESTA providers must be able to demonstrate this
upon request, including:
submitting findings from desktop audits (document-based reviews) to the Ministry upon
request
maintaining records of on-site audits, which may be reviewed by the Ministry during its own
audits or investigations.
In response to
part five of your request, the SESTA contract requires that all vehicles must be fit
for purpose and in a clean and tidy condition at all times. This is part of the provider’s responsibility
to ensure a safe environment for students.
Please note, we may publish this response on our website after five working days. Your name and
contact details will be removed.
Thank you again for your email.
Nāku noa, nā
James Meffan
Group Manager School Transport
Te Mahau | Te Pae Aronui | Operations and Integration
OIA: 1349167
