Temporary SEND Transport Assistant - Home to School Travel Service

Reference no: Newcastle 6453314245526

Pay rate: £14.71 per hour PAYE

Role Length:  This opening assignment is for 6 months

This role will work closely with families, schools and providers to ensure the statutory service, Home to School Travel Assistance, for children and young people aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) is delivered to the highest standard. Working with the Transport Officer in developing the service to meet ever-changing demands and to promote and ensure health and safety in the context of home to school transport.

A knowledge and understanding of the relevant legislation including the Children and Families Act 2014 (SEND reforms), Statutory Guidance for Home to School Transport 2014 is required for this role. The successful candidate will also have an understanding of the challenges faced when providing a front-line service to a wide range of children and young people and their families.

Key responsibilities:

• Support the SEND Transport officer in arranging home to school transport for children and young people, according to their individual needs and in line with the SEND Code of Practice and Statutory Guidance, ensuring safety of service users whilst obtaining best value.
• Assist the SEND Transport Officer in carrying out full risk assessments for each of the children and young people accessing the service before implementation and at each change in circumstance.
• Assist the SEND Transport Officer appropriate allocation of drivers and escorts to ensure the health and safety of accommodate children and young people’s individual needs.
• Be the first point of contact for queries and complaints received in the department.
• Assist the SEND Transport Officer in responding to first stage of appeals, and to coordinate stage two appeals in accordance with the local policy and appeals process.
• Assist the SEND Transport Officer in monitoring and accounting for financial allocations for transport arrangements, including both commissioned providers and personal budgets arrangements for families who make their own transport arrangements.
• Assist the SEND Transport Officer in the provision of an Independent travel training service.
• Assist the SEND Transport Officer in responding to incidents or complaints. This includes ensuring reporting to external agencies where necessary and follow-up monitoring as appropriate.
• Assist the SEND Transport Officer with Quality Assurance monitoring processes for the transport service, and to work alongside SEN Caseworkers to ensure that existing transport arrangements are reviewed annually and whenever a change in circumstances occurs.

“Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:

Experience:

• Experience of working effectively together with people from a range of stakeholders and customers from varying backgrounds including schools, families and businesses.
• Experience of dealing with sensitive and confidential information.
• Minimum of 12 months recent experience in a similar role, or context and ideally within a public sector organisation.
• An understanding of the challenges faced when providing a front-line service to a wide range of children and young people and their families.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge and understanding of the complexities of children with SEND and how their needs manifest themselves in the context of the role.
• Extensive knowledge of current issues and how they apply to the wellbeing of children and young people.
• Knowledge and understanding of legislation, guidance and policies relevant to Home to School Transport, DBS, Licencing and Road Traffic Legislation, and how they impact upon the field of work.
• Knowledge and understanding of the relevant legislation including the Children and Families Act 2014 (SEND reforms), Statutory Guidance for Home to School Transport 2014.

Skills:

• A team player with excellent IT, verbal and written communications skills.
• Ability to multi-task, problem solve under pressure and deal with changing priorities and working to deadlines is essential.
• Good planning, organisational and analytical skills together with the ability to manage time and prioritise work in an effective and productive way including working to deadlines.
• Ability to communicate effectively and influence others, gaining their agreement through persuasion and negotiation. Strong customer service skills.
• Ability to make firm and well considered decisions having considered all the facts and alternatives available, having consulted others as necessary, within realistic time scales.
• Assertiveness and independence of thought and action without over stepping interpersonal / professional / line managerial boundaries.
• Ability to deal with difficult situations without becoming hostile or over defensive.
• Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative.
• Strong IT skills using Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite).

NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.

If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.

To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF.

If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity.