Passenger Assistant

Job Introduction

Role Purpose

The job improves the quality of life for the people of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole by supporting vulnerable young people with SEND on their journeys to and from school. There is a requirement to use any special seating or equipment as required and managing their behaviour to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

Escorting children safely to and from school on the vehicle provided, making use of any special seating or safety equipment provided. In particular ensuring that seating and seat belt regulations are followed.

To be responsible for the care and conduct of children, preventing any action which might distract the driver or be dangerous to other passengers or the public.

To deliver a high quality, efficient passenger transport service, for passengers with regard for their comfort, safety and wellbeing. 

Main Responsibilities

To show empathy when transporting passengers with a range of special needs. To treat passengers as individuals, helping where necessary and gently encouraging them to attend school when required.

To maintain a professional relationship and co-operate with drivers, school staff, the parent/guardian of the children that you are assisting and the Passenger Transport Unit.

To report to management any matters concerning the care and welfare of the children, with particular regard to persistent unruly behaviour, incidents and accidents and to participate in finding solutions.

To provide support to child passengers; for example, to assist with getting on and off the vehicle and ensuring that children are properly handed into care at the school and at the pick-up / drop off point.

Reporting any problems connected passengers or with the operation of the vehicle (e.g., timekeeping, cleanliness etc.). Complete written reports as required.

Deliver excellent customer care to passengers and their families, internal and external organisations and members of the public, to promote a positive reputation for BCP Council. 

To be flexible about working hours and be aware that on occasions additional hours will be required without notice because of operational circumstances.  

Passenger Assistants may be required to attend training sessions and meetings outside of normal working hours this may include evenings, weekends, and school holidays.

To participate in risk assessments and to provide information to the Passenger Transport office about passenger’s attendance, address, mobility, behaviour, and operational practices so that Passenger Schedules remain up to date and accurate. 

 To comply with all decisions, policies and standing orders of the Council and any relevant statutory requirements, including the Equality Act, the Health and Safety at Work Act and General Data Protection Regulations. 

The Ideal Candidate

 Over 18 years of age, with a detailed understanding of the role of a Passenger Assistant

 An understanding of the likely needs and characteristics of children during their journeys to and from school ideally, supported by proven experience of working in a customer facing role within a social care or educational environment.

 Patient, caring and empathetic with an understanding of SEND.

Physically capable of assisting service users with limited mobility in line with moving and handling procedures

Warm, friendly and cheerful personality. Excellent communication skills, taking care to listen and communicate effectively to passengers who may be struggle to communicate verbally.  

Positive and self-confident with the ability to work well as a lone worker or part of a small team under pressure.

The ability to respect the views of others and work as part of a team. 

Awareness and understanding of confidentiality issues applied to the workplace. 

 Dedicated and reliable and punctual.

Live within BCP or within an acceptable travelling distance of BCP 

Flexible approach to working hours and the need to work overtime/toil at short notice

Term time working. Requests for time off during school term time will not normally be granted. 

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people.  Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline.  We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services.  By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

We offer an excellent benefits package for further details see support.aspx" style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(54,30,84);text-decoration:none;">here

As a result of the creation of BCP Council in 2019, we are working on simplifying our terms and conditions of service and will be creating a single pay structure which is to be applicable for all employees. It is important to us that we offer benefits that our colleagues value as part of their total employment package and we are reviewing these to make sure we have it right. We are in the process of establishing a timescale for implementation and colleagues joining us will be included in these changes. Expected to be in place 2024 or early 2025..

DBS

BCP Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the community and expects all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment.  Applicants to this post will be required to complete the appropriate level of Disclosure & Barring Service Check. Please refer to the Job Description or Role Profile for more details.