Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
School Transport Manager |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children's Services |
Service |
Schools' Services |
Business unit |
Student Services |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Senior Officer, Schools Services |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Senior Officer, Schools Services |
Salary grade |
28 - 31 |
JE ref |
COM09 |
1. Key purpose of job
- To ensure the Council’s transport services for children and young people are planned, managed and delivered effectively.
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- A comprehensive range of transport services for Children’s Services which is recognised by service users and stakeholders as effective and providing good value for money.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- To be responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children at all times.
- To arrange the provision of transport for Children’s Services’ client groups by the necessary appropriate means including contract transport, commercial services, season tickets and Council fleet transport.
- To oversee the use of approved contractors supplied through the Devon Dynamic Purchasing System or other approved supplier framework.
- To monitor and plan transport services for client groups in line with current and planned future demands, advertising and inviting tenders for specific services and letting contracts in line with relevant Council regulations.
- To ensure transport services in Children’s Services are monitored and service provision is maintained at least to minimum standards set out in contractual arrangements.
- To ensure temporary contracts for irregular and/or individually authorised transport in Children’s Services is provided effectively.
- To ensure Children’s Services’ transport spending is effectively monitored and reported as required.
- To advise on eligibility for travel assistance and to prepare and present appeals for transport assistance to officer panels and/or member appeal panels.
- To manage the provision of an effective and value for money home to school and emergency passenger escort service in Torbay.
- To undertake line management responsibilities for escorts and office staff including recruitment, oversight of induction and training, performance review and absence management.
- To assist in the review and development of policies and procedures in respect of Children’s Service transport to ensure statutory obligations are met and best practice is encouraged.
- To assist in addressing and resolving complaints about transport issues by service users and stakeholders in Children’s Services.
- To give advice and support to parents, schools and governing bodies and provide appropriate information about the service users for whom the postholder is responsible.
- To deal with correspondence and prepare reports/briefings for senior management or service users when requested.
- To contribute more broadly to the work of Children’s Services through the sharing of relevant knowledge and expertise.
- Examples of the typical types of problems and decisions the post will be required to make:
- Interpretation and application of school transport entitlement policy in complex cases.
- Analysing passenger risk assessments and determining appropriate transport arrangements for individual pupils.
- Resolving logistical problems with regard to the design of the transport network related to demand and supply constraints.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
- Maintenance of robust budget management and monitoring procedures to deliver the service within allocated financial resources (£1.89m).
- Production of reports for senior management on performance against budget targets.
- Oversight of systems to render appropriate payment to external contractors.
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
- Responsible for staff in the Children’s Services Transport function and for Passenger Escorts.
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
- Normal office working environment, with occasional visits to school sites for transport observations undertaken outdoors. Requirement for 7.30am start on a rota basis.
7. Physical demands of the post
- Normal physical effort for office working environment.
8. Specific resources used by the post
- Responsible for the maintenance of an appropriate supply of specialist equipment to facilitate safe passenger transport, e.g., harnesses and booster seats.
- Normal range of office equipment.
9. Key contacts and relationships
- External:
- Parents, carers, young people.
- Transport operators.
- Schools (head teachers, teaching staff, non-teaching staff).
- Devon County Council transport and compliance teams.
- Internal:
- Elected Members.
- Special Education Needs Team.
- Children’s Social Care Teams.
- Human Resources staff.
- Procurement Team.
- Communications Team.
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.
- This post is based at Electric House, Torquay but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
- 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.
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 |
School Transport Manager |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children's Services |
Service |
Schools' Services |
Business unit |
Student Services |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- Logical and clear-thinking.
- High standard of IT skills (competent with word processing, spreadsheets, complex databases and navigation of internet).
- Ability to write complex reports/ user guides etc. clearly and concisely, pulling together information from a variety of sources.
- Ability to use IT systems to support service delivery.
- Ability to interpret and apply legislation/regulations.
- Ability to explain and advise on policies and procedures.
- Ability to monitor financial data.
- Effective communication/diplomacy skills.
- Effective organisational skills.
- Ability to manage and develop staff and to manage the performance of external contractors.
- Ability to complete tasks within deadlines and meet targets.
- Ability to work with others collaboratively, e.g., project team.
- Ability to take initiative and be a self starter.
- Ability to lead and manage change within the team.
- Ability to manage conflicting priorities.
- Commitment to non discriminatory equal opportunities practice.
Desirable skills and effectiveness
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
N/A
Desirable knowledge
- Detailed knowledge of home to school transport legislation.
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Production/presenting reports for wide ranging audience.
- Proven experience of communicating with a wide range of people to deliver services.
- Experience of overseeing the development of IT systems to support service delivery.
- Experience of staff supervision and dealing with complex staffing issues.
Desirable experience and achievements
- Experience in transport environment.
- Experience of procurement and contract management.
- Experience of managing staff remotely.
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- Level 3 qualification in relevant discipline or equivalent.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
- Educated to Degree or equivalent.
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 unsociable hours.
- Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.