Job title: Independent Travel Training Buddy

Salary: B3 £26,403 - £28,142 pro rata

Hours: 18.5 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Location: Across Leeds

As a Travel Buddy, you will support young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) to develop the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to travel independently. You will work directly alongside young people on buses, trains and walking routes, teaching them how to use public transport safely and confidently so they can eventually complete journeys independently without support.

The role is much more than accompanying or chaperoning young people to and from school or college. You will actively teach independent travel skills, including journey planning, road and personal safety, using public transport, problem-solving, and building confidence, with the aim of enabling young people to travel independently in their daily lives.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About You

As a Travel Buddy, you will bring:

A passion for supporting young people with SEND to develop confidence and independence.
Strong communication skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with young people, parents/carers and professionals.
A commitment to safeguarding, accurate record keeping, and monitoring progress.
A flexible, resilient and proactive approach, with good problem-solving skills and a positive, can-do attitude.

About the Role

As a Travel Buddy, you will help young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) develop the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to travel independently.

Working directly alongside young people on buses, trains and walking routes, you will teach them how to use public transport safely and confidently, with the aim of enabling them to travel independently to their education setting.

You will monitor and record progress, work closely with families and professionals, and support young people through a structured programme of Independent Travel Training. The role also includes home visits, journey assessments and working collaboratively as part of a supportive team.

This role is integral to the Children's Transport Team within the Children and Families Directorate at Leeds City Council.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please email Olivier.nkunzimana@leeds.gov.uk

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose: To work with children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who are participating in Independent Travel Training (ITT). As a Travel Buddy, you will deliver personalised travel training programmes, teaching learners the skills, confidence and awareness needed to travel independently and safely on walking routes, public buses and trains. This includes accompanying learners on real-life journeys to school, college and other destinations, helping them develop the practical skills needed to become independent travellers.

With safety at the forefront of your practice, you will help learners develop increasing levels of independence by gradually reducing the support and supervision they receive throughout their training programme. You will assess and teach skills such as route planning, road safety, safe use of buses and trains, managing unexpected situations, personal safety and travelling confidently within the community. You will monitor progress, maintain accurate records, and provide regular feedback to the ITT Co-ordinator, parents, carers and educational settings, as appropriate.

You will act as an ambassador for ITT, promoting the benefits of independent travel and building positive relationships with young people, families and professionals to ensure learners have the best possible opportunity to achieve travel independence.

The role requires flexibility to meet the needs of learners, including working during peak travel times and operating within an annualised hours arrangement that reflects the seasonal demands of the service and the travel patterns of young people.

Responsibilities

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Travel train children and young people with Special Educational Needs and disabilities (SEND). This involves accessing public transport with young people on their journeys real-tine to and from school or college.
Monitor and assess young people’s progress towards independent travel, preparing written reports and recommendations to support their development and transition to independent travel.
Liaise with and provide professional advice to parents/carers, school staff, and other professionals involved with the young person, ensuring effective communication and coordinated support throughout the travel training process.
Ensure the safeguarding and protection of young people and assist management in doing so as appropriate.
Advise, instruct, check work and assist in the induction/training/mentoring of staff
Work on your own, manage your own workload and use your initiative to adhere to time scales and deadlines.
Analyse and collate data and use it to support the production of travel plans, risk assessments and reports.
Understanding of, financial, audit, confidential and operational requirements of Children & Families services, and the impact on its day-to-day work.
Work flexibly and working across the city, depending on service demand.
Support and motivate young people by showing awareness of their individual interests and preferences, by introducing them to a range of different experiences through independent travel
Communicate effectively and professionally verbally, non-verbally and in written form, including the use of IT.
Work with ITT Co-ordinators in contributing to reviewing and amending travel training plans, risk assessments and maintenance of files and other administrative tasks.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills
To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Qualifications It is an essential requirement that the post holder holds a Level 3 qualification relevant to work with children and young people or adults in the learning or social care field or if you do not hold this qualification you must be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience.

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Ability to effectively travel train children and young people who have SEND
Experience of working with children, young people or adults who have SEND
Demonstrates resilience and professionalism when adapting to changing work demands, with the ability to manage stress and maintain personal wellbeing.
Ability to work confidently on your own and using your initiative to adhere to timescales and deadlines
Able to safeguard children and support them to develop their resilience
Able to work in partnership with school staff, parents and carers to support children’s learning, development and wellbeing
A flexible approach to working hours with the ability to change working patterns at short notice as required.
An ability to access public transport confidently
Able to use ICT packages, including Word and Excel
Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills with a wide range of people including face-to-face, telephone and written communication skills.
Able to complete risk assessments and implement extra risk control measures under your own initiative as appropriate

Essential behavioural and other characteristics

Responsive and reliable in communication, with the ability to travel independently using public transport and maintain punctuality when attending appointments.
Demonstrates resilience and adaptability in response to changing work demands and working patterns, maintaining a positive and professional approach.
Works collaboratively with colleagues, uses initiative to solve problems and manage workload effectively, and demonstrates a proactive, can-do attitude.
Understand and embrace Leeds City Council values and behaviours and codes of conduct
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities, and a resilient sustainable city
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures
Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality and diversity of Leeds City Council
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters