Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Independent Travel Trainer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children's Services |
Service |
School Services |
Business unit |
Education and SEND |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
School Transport Manager |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Transport Manager |
Salary grade |
G |
JE ref |
CSERV025 |
1. Key purpose of job
- Embed Independent Travel Training, ensuring training is considered within transport applications, EHCP assessments and annual reviews.
- To deliver Independent Travel Training by providing appropriate road safety and bus awareness training and support for clients with special needs.
- Act as an independence champion for children and young people, giving time and expertise to undertake meaningful conversations with children and families, colleagues, and partners to promote the benefits of independent travel training.
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- Children and young people travel independently and without fear so they can get to school or college, work and for social and leisure activities.
- Children and Young People are prepared for safer and more confident engagement with the community by becoming more independent.
- Parents and carers are reassured that their child is being supported to become more independent.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- Design, organise and monitor the implementation of an Independent Travel Training scheme in Torbay.
- Work with colleagues in Transport Team, Education and Social Care, schools, Further Education Colleges colleagues to identify suitable children and young people who may benefit from Independent Travel Training.
- Develop a training programme for individual children and young people tailored to their specific needs and journey requirements. This will include initial planning and operational assessment of journeys to be undertaken, including a risk assessment.
- Undertake preparatory one-to-one or group training in a college, school covering the requirements for public service travel to include handling money, time, problem solving, stranger danger, location identification, appropriate behaviour, road safety training and any other issues that might arise.
- Act as a point of contact with parents, carers and schools, colleges to facilitate and actively promote increased travel independence.
- Escort the child/young person on their journey from leaving home to arrival at destination. Monitor their progress by shadowing to ensure individual security is maintained and re-evaluate the training programme as necessary to ensure a successful independent journey.
- Using the Torbay Council training pack, maintain records for each child/young person to include initial assessment, progress, and final outcome.
- Adapt training and materials in response to feedback and the needs of the audience.
- Utilise a wide range of learning tools and methods to account for different learning styles.
- To support the review and design of policies and procedures, ensuring independent travel principles are embedded.
- To engage families where there is resistance and problem solve to overcome blockers and barriers to successfully delivering Independent Travel Training.
- Show creativity and innovation when devising training and individual route planning for clients with special needs. This will include assessing the journey and the client’s needs in relation to road and personal safety.
- Analyse mapping systems and public transport options available to create a suitable journey for a child/young person with minimal change or disruption.
- Manage Health & Safety issues when accompanying a child/young person on public transport, including their interaction with members of the public.
- To assist in the provision of other transport managed by Torbay Transport Team when required.
- As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
- No direct line management.
- Will have one to one contact and supervision with individual children/young people or groups (up to 20) while undertaking Independent Travel Training (ITT).
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
- Lone Working within the community whilst travelling on public transport with children and young people or visiting them at home with their parent/carers.
- The post holder will be required to make very early morning starts and late finishes. This will involve lone driving to locations across the County in order to meet clients and accompany them to a bus stop.
7. Physical demands of the post
- Long walks will be undertaken when risk assessing a travel journey.
8. Specific resources used by the post
- The post holder will be responsible for issuing season bus tickets approx. £50 per day.
9. Key contacts and relationships
- External:
- Children/Young People, Parents/Carers, members of the public, health partners Education Providers including Early Years, Schools, Further Education Providers and Alternative provisions.
- Transport Providers and their drivers to educate and seek assistance when necessary. The providers will need to be aware of the needs of the children and young people travelling on their services.
- Internal:
- SEND service, Vulnerable Pupils service, Social Care including Fostering, Family Time, Cared For. Employees at all levels across the Council.
10. Other duties
- To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.
Other Information
- All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
- The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
- The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
- The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
- The post is eligible for hybrid working.
- The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
- If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.
- As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
- Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
- The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures.
- As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2017 (part 7) the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
Person Specification
Note for Candidate
All Candidates
The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement.
In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.
Candidates who consider that they have a disability
Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.
If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.
Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.
If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.
Job info |
Job info details |
Job Title |
Independent Travel Trainer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children's Services |
Service |
School Services |
Business unit |
Education and SEND |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- Organised, reliable, flexible, and calm.
- Map reading and journey planning skills.
- Able to travel on coaches, and public transport (including buses & trains).
- High level of communication skills in group and individual settings.
- Training and facilitation skills including utilising a range of tools and methods.
- ICT and administration skills.
- Ability to prioritise own workload and meet conflicting priorities and deadlines.
- Able to develop and maintain effective working relationships with families, children and professional partners.
Desirable skills and effectiveness
- Ability to interpret public transport information and translate into tools a Travel Plan for individuals.
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- Knowledge of Independent Travel Training including Road Safety.
- Knowledge of how Children’s Services operates, inclusive of legislation and national guidance and procedures specific to this post.
- In-depth knowledge of different learning styles and teaching methods.
- Understanding of the principles of safeguarding children and adults.
Desirable knowledge
- Working knowledge of the principles of data management and security.
- Understanding of risk assessment processes.
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Experience of working with children and young adults in a formal setting. This will include the need to deal with and communicate with service users who have learning difficulties and complex special needs.
- Working with a large group and individually.
- Facilitating learning and delivering training.
- Designing training and learning events.
Desirable experience and achievements
- Working with children and adults with Special Educational Needs and/or Disability.
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- Level 4 NVQ Qualification in Social Care, Health, Education, Children and Youth Work, Probation or Criminal Justice or significant equivalent experience.
- Evidence of continued professional development.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
- Relevant degree such as Social Care, Health, Education, Children and Youth Work, Probation or Criminal Justice.
- A relevant training/teaching/facilitation course at level 3 or above.
Other requirements
Other requirements of the job role
- Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
- Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay in order to carry out duties.
- Ability to accommodate occasional homeworking.
- Ability to accommodate early starts and late finishes to accompany children/young people on their transport journey.
- Ability to work unsupervised at times.