Description

Islington Council  Accessible Community Transport team are looking for Passenger Assistants to support Children with Special Educational Needs and Adults with Learning Difficulties on transport to schools and specialist centres

• All candidates must demonstrate an awareness and understanding of child protection issues and how they maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
• All candidates must display an awareness, understanding and commitment to the protection and safeguarding of children and young people. and or vulnerable adults.

Duties

• To assist children and young people with specific and complex needs to travel by Council transport or other means as designated from home to an educational establishment or from one educational establishment to another. To return children and young people to their home or other appointed place.
• To be aware of the needs of each child / young person under your control (e.g. mobility problems, visual or hearing impairment, or learning / behavioural difficulties) and to ensure that these needs are taken into account.
• To ensure that each child / young person is received safely from and to another responsible member of their family (or authorised representative) at an appointed time and place each designated day.
• To decide upon appropriate seating arrangements in the vehicle having regard to the specific requirements of the passengers.
• To ensure that passengers are safely boarded onto the vehicle depending on the nature of the disability e.g. assisting them onto the vehicle; placing wheelchairs on the tail lift; securing handbrakes and where appropriate, accompanying pupils on the tail lift. Adhering to the correct procedures and using specified safety equipment.
• To ensure that the children / young people are handed over to the nominated person at the educational establishment.
• To escort the child or young person to the appropriate child minder, as directed by Transport Management and in cases where a parent / carer fails to meet their child / young person at the drop off point, to complete the required paperwork in connection with this and take the appropriate action.
• To ensure safe entry and exit to and from the bus and that the children are seated safely and that necessary straps or seatbelts are secured before the bus moves.
• Ensure that you operate within professional boundaries when developing and maintaining relationships with children and young people, their parents and carers.

Essential criteria

• Substantial experience of supervising children in a paid or unpaid capacity.
• Ability to relate to pupils with complex and individual needs, to ensure that these needs are fully taken into account at all times and the children and young people receive appropriate attention as necessary.
• Ability to supervise and control children / young people on an individual basis and in groups and to deal with them patiently and firmly where required.
• Ability to liaise with and maintain good working relationships with school staff, parents, the driver and other Council staff and to carry out duties associated within the work of the section which are within the scope and responsibility of the Passenger Assistant.
• Ability to work positively and effectively as a member of a team.
• Ability to undertake a range of training including First Aid Certification, Team Teach and any other training, necessary to successfully carry out the work.
• Ability to work to the specific needs of the children and young people in your care and to administer authorised medicine if appropriate.
• Ability to work to both general and specific risk assessments, comply with Council policies and health and safety legislation
• Ability to liaise with and maintain good working relationships with school staff, parents and other Council staff and to carry out duties associated with the work of the section which are accepted to fall within the scope and responsibility of the passenger assistant.

Desirable criteria

• Manual handling training
• First Aid training
• Experience/training on managing challenging behaviours

Additional information

The role involves a split shift: 2hrs in the morning (7:30am – 9:30am) and 2hrs in the afternoon (between 2pm – 5pm): 4hrs daily on Mon – Fri

This role will require you to obtain an enhanced satisfactory clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service, formally known and the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure.

How to apply

Register with Islington Working to apply.