Travel passenger assistant guidelines

Summary

A Travel Passenger Assistant accompanies children with special educational needs whilst they are travelling in taxis, minibuses, wheelchair accessible buses or coaches. The children may have physical disabilities, hearing or sight difficulties, learning difficulties or behavioural problems. They may also have a range of conditions such as autism, Asperger syndrome and epilepsy. You are responsible for the supervision and care of the children while they are in the vehicle and until you hand them over to a responsible person such as a teacher.

Detail

As a Travel Passenger Assistant, you will accompany children with special educational needs to and from school. While a child is with you on the school transport, they are your responsibility, not the driver’s.

When you start a new school route, someone from the School Travel Service (STS) will telephone you to discuss the route, the school and the children who are travelling. You will also be sent a route schedule giving you the name, address, age and pick up time of each child. The route schedule will also give the name, address and phone number of the school and the transport company who will be providing the vehicle. Further information may be given about the children, such as details of any medical conditions they have and what days/times they travel if they do not need transport every day. The driver should have an ID badge and a registered licensed taxi plate on the vehicle.

If any of the route details change, including children joining or leaving the route, someone from the STS will telephone you to let you know. You must record any changes on the route schedule as this is your master set of information. The STS will send you a new/updated route schedule at least once every year. You must always let the STS know if there is any wrong information on the route schedule or if something changes and they have not told you about the change. If the STS has not told you about the change, then they probably don’t know about it!

You must keep the route schedule and information confidential. You must not share route information with others unrelated to the schedule and keep it secure. It must be confidentially destroyed when no longer relevant.

Summary

There are specific rules and procedures relating to school transport that you must adhere to which ensures that the children remain safe.

Key points

• You should never allow anyone to travel in the vehicle who is not noted on the route schedule. If you get such a request from a child, parent/carer, or driver then you should phone the STS for advice.
• Never ever unlock a seat belt until the vehicle has completely stopped at the correct destination and the school staff/parent/carer have met you at the vehicle. This will prevent the pupil from potentially trying to exit the vehicle or moving within the vehicle. Always check seatbelts and any equipment used is secure before moving.
• It is the STS’s responsibility to identify to the driver and Travel Passenger Assistant if a child may not be travelling on a certain run i.e. (AM or PM). This should be communicated to you in advance of the run, assuming the STS have been informed in advance.
• Always check that you are dropping the correct child at the correct address. Should you be on an unfamiliar run e.g., covering a PM run for the first time and you cannot identify a pupil to a name (some children are non-verbal), always ask a member of school staff, who will be able to identify a child by name but maybe not by address. You will have names and addresses on your route schedule so will be able to match a name to an address.
• You should never go to collect a child from their home and/or drop off a child at their home. When you arrive at a child’s house to collect them, it is their parent’s/carer’s responsibility to bring them out to the vehicle and to meet the vehicle for the return journey.
• You should always ensure that every child gets out of the vehicle on arrival to school and on return home. This means that you must check every seat, especially on larger vehicles.
• Children should normally be met by their parents/carers. If parents/carers want someone else to have this responsibility, whether it is for one day or on a regular basis, they must give us written permission in advance.
• You must be told if a child has special permission to be left on their own at home or at a pickup point. Unless you have been told in advance by STS, you must never leave them.
• Some children are collected from/dropped off at locations away from their homes. If a parent/carer asks you to collect or drop a child at a different address, you should only do this with the permission of the STS. If this is the case, you will be told where the pickup point is
• You should never leave a child on their own at home or at a pickup point, or hand them over to someone other than their parent/carer unless it has been agreed in advance, as stated above. If there is no one to meet a child, and no special arrangement in place, you should phone the STS for advice. If for any reason you are unable to contact the STS, you should call the nearest Social Services office (details are in the contacts section of this booklet). You should never take a child home with you or leave them on their own or in the driver’s care.
• Note: Should there be an unfortunate emergency/accident, this is the only time you would leave a child in the driver’s care. See Section 7 for more details.

The STS advises parents/carers of their child’s nominated pick up time. This is the time that appears on the route schedule. It is the Travel Passenger Assistant’s job to tell parents/carers the approximate time the child will be dropped off after the return journey.

It is the parent’s/carer’s responsibility to keep an eye out for the vehicle arriving so it should not be necessary for you to let them know that you have arrived, however, if you are running more than 10 minutes late, and they have given you a contact number, you should telephone the parent/carer to update them on your likely arrival time.

If a child is not ready to be collected, or no one comes out from the house, you should wait for three minutes after the nominated pick-up time before leaving. This applies whether you arrive on time or early. If you have arrived late, you should still wait three minutes.

Exceptions to the rule: It is always good to be aware that there may be situations where common sense needs to prevail, particularly with children with autism and challenging behaviour, when 3 minutes may not be enough time. It may be necessary to wait a little longer, providing it does not have too much impact on the pickup times of other children. This should not be on a regular basis.

In a taxi or tail lift bus you will normally sit in the back with the children. In a minibus you will normally sit with the children in a position where you can see and access the greatest number of children. These arrangements may need to vary due to vehicle layout or individual children’s requirements. You should always consult the STS before sitting somewhere else.

Note: Most large special schools have queuing systems for school transport which means you should wait in the vehicle with the children until school staff are ready to take them into school. If you are working at a school where it is common practice for Travel Passenger Assistants to assist with walking the children into school, there should be arrangements in place for school staff to monitor any children left on the vehicle with the driver. If you have any concerns about this, please contact the STS for advice.

Driver changes or vehicle problems

If your driver makes any changes to the transport arrangements or you have problems with your vehicle, you must telephone the STS. Problems may include:

• Not enough seats in the vehicle.
• The vehicle has sideward facing or rearward facing seats which cannot be used.
• Access to the vehicle is difficult for you or the children because of an inappropriate step.
• The seatbelts do not work.
• The vehicle is cold.
• The vehicle is dirty.
• The vehicle leaks.
• The vehicle appears un-roadworthy.
• The driver is carrying unauthorised passengers in the vehicle.
• The vehicle is often arriving late.
• The vehicle breaks down.
• Children being moved from one vehicle to another during the journey.
• The driver behaving inappropriately to you or the children.
• Dangerous driving.

You must never accept any instructions about your job from anyone except the STS. You must tell the STS if anyone asks you to change anything about the route.

Summary

Travel Passenger Assistants may accompany children with medical conditions. This section offers guidance on dealing with these.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a condition where a person has abnormal bursts of electrical energy in their brain cells, rather like an electrical storm in the brain. This causes sudden attacks which they cannot control, sometimes called fits, seizures, or episodes.

Epilepsy affects people of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of intelligence.

If a child suffers from epilepsy, we will tell you and advise you if there are any special arrangements in place for that child. If there are no special arrangements in place for a child, the general rule is that if a fit lasts for more than five minutes you should call the emergency services. Please tell us, the Head Teacher, and the parents/carers if a child has a fit. There are three main types of epilepsy:

• Major fit: A major fit is also known as a grand mal seizure. This type of fit can be alarming if you have never seen one before.

  During a major fit, a child could fall to the ground, often with no warning, and begin to shake violently. They may froth at the mouth, which could look red if they bite their tongue or mouth. A major fit should only last for five minutes at the most.

  When it finishes the child should wake up, but they may feel confused. The confusion could last from several minutes to an hour and the child may want to rest quietly or sleep afterwards.

  Often the best thing to do is to let the fit run its course and follow these simple rules:

  • Keep calm and make sure others stay calm as well.
  • If you are travelling in a vehicle the driver should stop as soon as is practically possible.
  • You should undo and remove any seatbelts and harnesses from the child if possible.
  • If the child is outside of the vehicle and has fallen to the ground, move them only if they are close to traffic, sharp objects, or in dangerous surroundings.
  • Place the child’s head on something soft (a folded jacket will do).
  • If necessary, loosen any tight clothing around the child’s neck, but be careful when doing this as they could be very frightened.
  • Don’t put anything in their mouth to stop the child from biting their tongue as you could cause them more damage and/or stop them breathing.
  • As soon as the fit has finished, turn the child onto their side to help them breathe more easily and to help them recover. Stay with them and try to keep the surroundings as quiet as possible.

• Psychomotor attack: This attack happens when only part of the brain is affected. In a psychomotor attack, a child will make movements which they cannot control, such as twitching, plucking at clothes or lip smacking. They may appear to be awake but might not be able to speak to you.

• Minor fit: A minor fit is also called an absence or petit mal fit and can easily happen without you noticing. If a child has a minor fit, they will look as if they are day- dreaming or staring blankly and they may blink their eyes frequently. Apart from this, they may show no outward signs of having a fit.

  For these Psychomotor and Minor types of fits, the only help you can give is to be understanding and patient.

Allergies

If a child suffers from allergies, parents/carers should inform us in advance. Your Transport Officer will tell you and advise you if there are any special arrangements in place for that child. In some cases, children will carry an epi pen in case of emergency. (This is covered in your E Learning and face to face First Aid course so it’s very important that you attend your training when requested.)

Anaphylaxis/Anaphylactic Shock is a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction to a trigger such as an allergy.

This would normally develop suddenly and would get worse very quickly.

Airway - Mild-Moderate reaction: Swelling of the lips, face or eyes, itchy/tingly mouth.

Airway - Life-threatening reaction: Persistent cough, hoarse voice, difficulty in swallowing, swollen tongue.

Breathing: Life-threatening reaction: Difficult, noisy, or wheezy breathing or a ‘tight chest’, Persistent cough.

What to do:

• Call 999 for an ambulance – the person may have anaphylaxis.
• Remove any trigger (if possible) – for example, carefully remove any wasp or bee sting stuck in the skin.
• Position Casualty - If wheezy and having difficulty breathing, keep sitting in the upright position but if feeling faint or light headed lay them down and elevate their legs; this is normally because their blood pressure has dropped. This positioning is not normally possible in a vehicle.
• Use an Adrenaline auto-injector (epi pen) if the person has one – but make sure you know how to use it correctly first. Ask parent/carer to demonstrate if you are unsure. Alternatively, you will be shown this on your First Aid E-Learning and your Face-to-face First Aid course.
• Give another injection after 5 minutes if the symptoms don't improve and if a second auto-injector is available, whilst waiting on the ambulance.

Always make sure:

• It is the correct medication.
• It has the pupil’s name on it.
• It is not damaged.
• It is in date.

You can:

• Inject into mid upper outer thigh.
• It can be injected through clothes.
• Dose can be repeated after 5 minutes if there is no improvement.

Asthma

Many children suffer from asthma, and it can vary in severity from child to child. We will tell you if a child suffers from asthma and advise you if there are any special arrangements in place for that child.

The following are general guidelines on what to do if a child has an asthma attack:

• Make sure that a child uses their reliever inhaler. A reliever inhaler is usually a grey or blue hand-held device which should quickly relieve an attack.
• Stay calm and reassure the child. Attacks can be frightening but the child has probably been through it before. Listen carefully to what they are saying. It is very comforting to have a hand to hold but don’t put your arm around their shoulder as this could be restrictive.

After the attack, the child should quickly feel better, but you should call an ambulance immediately if:

• The child’s inhaler has no effect after ten minutes.
• The child is distressed or unable to talk.
• The child is getting very tired.
• You have any worries at all about the child’s condition.

Summary

Most of the children you work with will have special needs. Understanding their needs will help you manage them in the most appropriate way and this section will help you understand some of the difficulties children face and how to help them.

What is SEND?

SEND stands for Special Educational needs and Disabilities. This could cover a wide range of conditions including learning difficulties, physical difficulties, conditions such as autism or ADHD or a combination of all of these. With some children with SEND it is not always obvious what their disability is; this is sometimes called ‘hidden disability’. Many children often have health conditions alongside their SEND that can make their lives complicated and challenging.

The important thing with SEND is to make sure that we treat every child as an individual as we would with any child. Not all children with autism for example are the same.

A typical morning for a SEND pupil

A typical morning for a child with SEND can be very complex, hard work, even painful and very different to the morning experience of a child without SEND. This is why sometimes children with SEND might find it harder to come onto their transport in a positive frame of mind; they have already been through a lot since waking up.

Behaviour as a form of communication

Sometimes children with SEND might behave in a way that we don’t like. However, this is almost always not their fault. We call this ‘behaviour as a form of communication’. Sometimes a child’s behaviour is the only way that they can express that something is wrong, that they are unhappy or even in pain. It’s important that we try and treat this as communication and not as poor behaviour even when it can feel difficult.

Dis-regulation and trigger stacking

If something goes wrong in the life or experience of a child with SEND, it is often very hard for them to cope with, and they can become what we call ‘dis-regulated’. This means that their behaviour might become more challenging as they are less able to control it. If more than one thing goes wrong, then this can very quickly escalate into a situation that is more difficult to deal with – sometimes you might hear this called ‘trigger stacking’.

Triggers

We all have our triggers – the things that make us stressed. Different things stress different people in different ways. It is the same for a child with SEND. However, most of us can self-regulate and manage our emotions and behaviours when faced with a trigger. Children with SEND are often not able to do this. This is not their fault; it is part of their SEND. In addition, if more than one thing goes wrong then things can get very stressful for the child very quickly. Triggers can be as simple as an over-crowded car, a traffic jam or a new route or roadworks.

Change

Change is a significant trigger. For a child with SEND, routine is often very important and even small changes to their routine can be a trigger. So, a new escort, a car that is a different colour, a different pick-up time, a sudden change in plan – all of these things can actually be quite severe triggers for a child with SEND and can upset and stress them.

Knowledge is key

As every child is different, it helps to understand what sort of things might be a problem and how they might react in certain situations. This will help you to manage any issues that arise. It also helps to have some knowledge of what can calm each child in a difficult situation e.g., is there a song that they can sing? Do they need certain words of reassurance? Do they need space and to be allowed to calm themselves down? Every child is different and the more knowledge you have about them, the easier your experience and theirs will be.

How you help

As a Travel Passenger Assistant, you are one of the most important people in these children’s lives. You see them every term time day at a key transition from their home environment to school and back again. Many Travel Passenger Assistants build up very positive professional relationships with the children and families that they support and become a valued part of their growing up. Whilst there may be some challenges along the way, you play a vital role in enabling these children to access their education and their school friends. You provide a lifeline for those families who cannot get their children to school any other way and your support helps to keep families out of crisis.

How to communicate

To improve the quality of the service we provide to children, it is important to understand how to communicate with children with disabilities. Below is a set of simple guidelines to both verbal and nonverbal communication:

Children with speech and language difficulties:

• Concentrate on what is being said. If you need more information, break down your questions to deal with individual points.
• Be patient and do not try to guess what they want to say.
• If you don’t understand what they are saying, don’t pretend to.
• Try other forms of communication, if necessary, i.e., writing things down on a note pad. Picture cards can be used especially for non-verbal children.       
• Remember, slow or impaired speech does not reflect a person’s intelligence.

Children with learning difficulties:

• Be patient.
• Be prepared to explain something more than once.
• Concentrate on using simple language - avoid jargon.
• Speak to the child as you would to anyone else.

Children in wheelchairs:

• Do not talk down to the child; try and ensure that your eyes are at the same level as theirs.
• Do not lean on the wheelchair. It is annoying, and it is part of their personal space.
• Ask the child if they wish to be pushed (especially older children) - do not just assume that they will.

Children with a visual impairment:

• Introduce yourself clearly.
• When you are going to move away from the child, tell them first so you do not leave the child talking to an empty space.
• If you are guiding a child, offer them your arm to hold, walk at a steady pace and try not to push or pull them.
• If there are steps, tell the child when to go up or down.
• Remember that guide dogs (and other assistance dogs) are working dogs and should not be fed, patted, or distracted whilst they are working.

Children with a hearing impairment:

• Look directly at the child when you are speaking to them. Do not turn your head or cover your mouth as this will prevent your lips being read.
• Avoid standing in front of a window, bright sunlight, or spotlight as this will cast a dark shadow, creating a silhouette and prevent definition of the lips.
• Try to keep sentences short and simple making it less likely for the deaf person to confuse words, or their meaning.
• Avoid shouting and try not to exaggerate your mouth pattern as this distorts the shape of your mouth making words difficult to decipher.
• Check regularly that you have been understood.

Children with a facial disfigurement:

• Like a disability, it does not mean the child is any different.
• Make eye contact, as you would with anyone else.
• Do not stare, smile as you would with anyone else.
• Listen carefully and do not let a person’s appearance distract you.

Some of the special needs a child may have

Autism

Autism is a disability that disrupts development of social and communications skills. The cause is unknown and there is no known cure. Thousands of children have autism in the UK and approximately between 44%-52% of autistic people may also have a learning disability (taken from The National Autistic Society). They often find it difficult to make friends and interact with people, display compulsive and repetitive behaviour, and find it difficult to tolerate noise. They often take things literally, an example being if you said, “it’s raining cats and dogs”, they may expect to see cats and dogs coming out of the sky.

When working with a child with autism, be observant and aware of what may trigger their distress. Use their name first to get their attention. Speak directly to them but do not assume they cannot understand you. Use plain speech and speak calmly.

Give positive instructions and avoid shouting or speaking in a high-pitched voice. It is important not to view the child as naughty.

ADHD/ADD

These are abbreviations for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder. Children with these conditions may present as energetic and impulsive and their behaviour can sometimes be aggressive. They may find it difficult to concentrate, have learning difficulties and have few or no friends.

When working with a child with ADHD/ADD, use their first name to get their attention and speak directly to them. Try and give calm positive instructions and repeat yourself if necessary. Avoid shouting and give close supervision to ensure the child’s safety. Do not call the child naughty.

EBD

EBD is an abbreviation for emotional and behavioural difficulties. EBD affects thousands of children in the UK with a lot more boys to girls. Some children have learning difficulties and a minority have autism or ADD. These children are not naughty but have difficulty managing their anger and recognising what is acceptable behaviour.

When working with a child with EBD you need to manage situations carefully, be observant and be aware of what may trigger difficulties. Make it easy as easy as possible for the child to behave well. Praise them when they behave well, be positive and stay calm. Try and defuse anger before it escalates and prevent difficult situations becoming dangerous.

When dealing with any challenging behaviour on a vehicle, it is always worth speaking to parent/carer/school for advice on specific behaviours the child is displaying. This will give continuity on how to deal with individual situations.

Summary

Children with learning disabilities may appear younger than their actual age and present challenging behaviour. They are encouraged at school to learn appropriate behaviour for their age group.

Guidance

As you will experience, part of your role is managing challenging behaviour. Not every strategy will work for every pupil but it’s good to have a few ideas so you can use them when required. Outlined below are a few distraction strategies which may help you:

• Use your windows! Ask pupils to count how many red/yellow cars they can see out of the window. Ask how many green doors they can find for example.
• 5-1. Find 5 items which are square; find 4 items which are orange; find 3 dogs for example and so on. This helps to refocus the mind.
• PECS (Picture Exchange Communication system)
• Some children will carry phones/IPADS-parents/carers are responsible for the loss or damage of such items. They are also responsible for blocking any inappropriate usage.
• Play music (appropriate) or sing a song!
• Read a book (appropriate)
• Fidget toys, Sensory toys
• Magnetic writing board
• Playing cards
• Colouring books
• Connect 4
• Golden award. (Some schools run schemes where the pupils collect awards for positive behaviour. This can work in conjunction with school travel)

It is inevitable that at times children will misbehave on transport. If a child does misbehave, you should never:

• Smack the child.
• Drop the child off at an unscheduled point on the journey.
• Tell the child or their parent/carer that they are excluded from transport.

Physical restraint should only be used if a child is going to hurt themselves, someone else, or, if they are damaging property. Physical restraint is only one of many possible solutions to a crisis and should only be used as a last resort. If you use physical restraint, it must be the minimum amount that will control the crisis. You must never use it as a punishment.

Alternatives to physical restraint are:

• Distract the child’s attention by talking to them.
• Tell the child in a clear calm voice to stop their behaviour.

Note: If you have used physical restraint as a last resort, it must not be deliberately painful or dangerous to the child. Always try to hold the child’s clothing rather than his/her body. Use a flat hand when trying to restrain them. If you use physical restraint on a child, you MUST tell the STS who will make a written report of all incidents. Similarly, if you are ever injured or abused by a child you should always report it to the STS.

When children are in an out-of-control rage, gently but firmly hold them to prevent them from harming themselves or others. Use just enough force to restrain them safely. Speak in a reassuring, calm voice. Release them as soon as the aggressive behaviour ceases. Every situation will be different.

Criminal law allows a person to use a ‘reasonable’ level of force towards a person to prevent an offence being committed such as stopping someone assaulting another person or stopping someone greatly damaging property.

Common law requires you to have a duty of care to apply a ‘reasonable’ level of force towards a person to avoid them injuring themselves.

What is ‘reasonable’ is a matter of personal judgement at the time. However, if a member of staff has clearly neglected that duty of care and the use of force was unreasonable or excessive, they may be liable to disciplinary action, civil or criminal proceedings. If you act in a measured way in the child’s best interests, the Council will support your actions.

Summary

Safeguarding is the commonly used term to describe child protection issues, and everyone has a duty to safeguard children. This section provides guidance on how to keep children safe and protect you from allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Introduction

Anyone who comes into contact with children and families in their everyday work has a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. As a Travel Passenger Assistant, you may come across child protection issues during your work.

Ten key things to do if you suspect or are told of abuse

1. Always stop and listen straight away to someone who wants to tell you about incidents or suspicions of abuse.
2. Write brief notes immediately after speaking to a child, not while the child is talking to you.
3. Never promise that you will keep what is said confidential or secret. If you are told about abuse, you have a responsibility to report it so that action can be taken. Reassure the child that you will tell only those that need to know.
4. Do not ask leading questions that may give your own ideas of what may have happened. Just ask “what do you want to tell me?” or “is there anything else you want to say?”
5. Don’t give the child the impression that you don’t believe them – remember, you may well be the first person the child has spoken to. Whether you believe them or not isn’t the issue – if you have any suspicion, report it.
6. Immediately tell the STS and the school. Do not tell anyone else.
7. Discuss with the STS whether any steps need to be taken to protect the person who has told you about the abuse.
8. Never try to investigate, you could do more harm than good.
9. As soon as possible and certainly the same day, the STS/school should refer the matter to Social Services, and they may want to talk to you. If this is necessary, they will guide you through the process.
10. Never think abuse is impossible or that an accusation against someone you know well, and trust is bound to be wrong.

Whilst keeping children safe is a key priority in safeguarding, it is important that you also protect yourself from allegations of inappropriate behaviour. Such allegations must be thoroughly investigated, and this can be an extremely distressing experience for staff. Here are some important rules to help you protect yourself:

• Behave in a mature, respectful, safe, fair, and considered manner to all staff and children. This includes using appropriate language, wearing appropriate dress, and keeping a calm atmosphere in the vehicle including keeping stereo noise to a minimum.
• Report difficulties in managing behaviour and any incidents that happen whilst the children are in your care.
• Do not build special relationships with children or their families and don’t act favourable towards anyone.
• Do not plan to contact, communicate or meet children outside of your work.
• It is ok to swap mobile numbers with parents (for emergency work purposes) if you choose to do so. This may be helpful in emergencies i.e., delays in parents arriving home/traffic delays on the way home/pupils are sick etc.
• Do not take children’s mobile phone or other contact details. Do not use video calls during your run to any friends and/or family members.
• Do not take pictures/videos of children or allow them to take them of you.
• Do not allow children to see any stored pictures on your mobile phone or allow them to hear inappropriate messages or ring tones.
• Do not have contact with any of the children you work with through social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, or blogs such as Twitter, chat rooms, forums, podcasts etc.
• If you have an account on a social network such as Facebook, ensure your account settings only allow your friends to see your wall and photos.
• Ensure that physical contact with children is appropriate to the requirements of the job. Whilst it may sometimes be necessary for you to hold a child’s hand, help them put their coat on or do their seatbelt up, physical contact should be kept to a minimum.
  Exception: Should you be required to perform First Aid or keep a pupil out of any danger, obviously you will have to touch. The pupil’s safety is paramount!!
• Do not give or receive gifts from children.
• Do not allow, encourage, or condone children to smoke, drink or read inappropriate material.

We advise that you follow the guidance set out above as it is designed to keep you safe. If you are ever unsure what to do, or have any concerns in this area, please talk to the STS.

LADO

Every local authority has a statutory responsibility to provide a local authority designated officer (LADO). This relates to the Safeguarding of children and outlined below is a summary of the process.

Who does it concern?

• Should a parent, driver, school staff or Travel Passenger Assistant for example, report a concern about another adult causing harm to a child, the LADO is responsible for coordinating and managing the response to these concerns.
• This could include paid and unpaid employees, agency staff, contractors, volunteers, and those in a position of authority and have regular contact with children (drivers and travel passenger assistants) such as religious leaders, governors etc. It also includes any person who manages or facilitates access to an establishment where children are present.

Who will the concerns be reported to?

The person in your organisation (SCC) who is responsible for responding to a concern MUST refer to LADO within 24 hours. The concern may come from a parent/school staff/travel passenger assistant or driver for example, and this would be raised with your Transport Officer who will in turn discuss with the Travel Service Manager who contacts the SCC LADO.

Allegations may include

• An employee or volunteer that has behaved in a way that has harmed a child or may have harmed a child.
• An employee or volunteer who has possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child.
• An employee or volunteer who has behaved towards a child in a way that indicates that they may pose a risk to children.
• An employee or volunteer who has behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.
• The manager can ring the LADO for advice or guidance, regardless of whether they feel the allegation or incident is serious or not. The LADO will help decide on the next steps.
• If it is felt necessary, the LADO will record this conversation in one or two ways:
  • on the confidential advice log to ensure the advice given is recorded and the incident is tracked to highlight any patterns of behaviour/concern.
  • recorded on the official LADO database.

What will LADO advise when a concern is raised?

• Next steps i.e., referral to Children’s Social Care, police, internal investigation/disciplinary process
• How the employer safeguards children throughout the investigation process
• How to manage talking about the concerns with the member of staff
• How to inform the child’s parents/carers and support the child throughout this process
• Expectations of the employer and other agencies involved.

Evaluation Meetings

• If required, the LADO will convene an Initial Evaluation Meeting (IEM) and invite the key people.
• Information is shared and actions agreed. A review meeting may take place to check on the progress of the investigation.
• A Post Outcome Meeting (POM) may be held at the end of any investigation to explore any lessons that can be learned.

Notes

• Regardless of the nature of the allegations, they must be reported to LADO. This includes where a worker has resigned before any action can be taken. Compromise agreements cannot be made as it may put others at risk in the future.
• Complaint’s procedures are separate to the allegation process and just because someone does not wish to make a complaint does not mean the allegation should not be considered and investigated.

A Transport Officer and/or Manager:

• Should make sure that they do not make assumptions based on personal knowledge of the victim or the perpetrator.
• Should not automatically suspend the employee.
• Should not alert the alleged perpetrator prior to decisions made about how best to proceed.
• Should not interview the child, witnesses or alleged perpetrator until necessary plans have been put in place.

What happens if a member of staff requests a reference?

• In Keeping Children Safe in Education September 2018, only those allegations substantiated should be included in references.
• It is important you ensure a thorough reference for any staff who have been the subject of any allegations/concerns/LADO activity.
• The reference needs to be in accordance with HR/legal advice about what you can write. The Manager must stick entirely to fact. For example, it would be appropriate to write ‘Left prior to an internal investigation which may have resulted in a disciplinary being held’.

Summary

The Council has a legal responsibility to look after your health, safety and welfare while you are at work, but you also have a personal responsibility for your safety and other people’s. The TCU can advise you on health and safety issues. All Council employees are expected to comply with all policies, guidance, instructions and training they are given relating to Health and Safety.

Emergency evacuation procedures

The following information is for guidance only. All cases of emergency are different, so it is up to you and the driver to assess the level of emergency and decide on appropriate actions. Most importantly, you should use common sense and not panic.

Please work together in an emergency. If the driver is unconscious or injured in the emergency, you may have to deal with the situation alone. In almost every case:

• Assess the situation.
• Take account of individual circumstances.
• Follow the safest course of action.
• Ensure that passengers able to walk can get out the nearest, safest exit.
• Stay calm.

Calling the emergency services

If you want to call the emergency services:

• Plan an escape route with the driver beforehand.
• Know where the exits are.
• Know how to operate the tail lift, fire extinguisher and emergency doors.  (Ask your driver to show you this even if it is an ad hoc run for you).
• Know how to release the restraints so you can evacuate a child and their wheelchair. (Ask your driver to show you this even if it is an ad hoc run for you).
• Know how to get a child out of their wheelchair (in the extreme event that you cannot evacuate the wheelchair).
• Work as a team.

What to do if the vehicle breaks down on the motorway

Your driver should:

• Stop on the hard shoulder near to an emergency phone if possible; these are one mile apart. White posts every 100 meters have an arrow pointing towards the nearest phone.
• Park the vehicle as close to the near side of the hard shoulder as possible without blocking the side door.
• Switch on the hazard warning lights. At night, also switch on other lights, including the interior ones.

The Police advise that as a rule, passengers should not stay in a broken-down vehicle but should wait safely on the bank away from the vehicle.

However, in certain circumstances the children may be in danger outside the vehicle especially if they are very young, have severe learning difficulties, behavioural problems or are autistic. If so, the passengers should stay inside the vehicle with their seatbelts on.

You and your driver should then:

• Not cross the carriageway.
• Phone the police. The emergency phones, which are free, are linked directly to the Motorway Police Control Room which will arrange any help needed. The phones are already coded so the police will know the exact location. Please state that the vehicle has special-needs children on it.
• Wait with the passengers for the recovery services. Keep the passengers reassured and fully informed about what is happening and why.

Please remember:

• Do not leave any children unattended when they are out of the vehicle.
• Report all accidents/incidents to the STS.
• Stay calm.

What to do if the vehicle breaks down on a more minor road

• Keep the children on the vehicle if it is safe to do so until a replacement vehicle arrives.
• When the replacement vehicle arrives, transfer the children making sure they are safe from traffic.
• If it not safe to keep the children on the vehicle, evacuate them to a safe point on the side of the road until the replacement vehicle arrives.

Road accidents

If your vehicle is involved in a road accident, follow these guidelines:

• If a child is seriously injured, do not move him/her unless there is a risk of fire or another accident. Try to cover the child lightly with something warm and make sure that someone has called the emergency services.
• Make sure the other children you are escorting are away from danger while you stay with the injured child. If possible, make sure an adult is supervising them.
• As soon as possible afterwards, report the accident to the STS. The STS will ask you for details of the accident to complete a formal report.

Remember – All accidents must be reported to the STS even if no one has been hurt.

Lifting children and equipment

Escorts should not lift children. If a child has difficulty getting on/off the bus, the operator should provide a step to assist with this, and travel passenger assistants can give support. If a child has difficulty getting onto their seat, the parent can lift them or supply a small foot stall to assist. It is the driver’s responsibility to operate ramps and tail lifts and fix wheelchair restraints.

You could ask the driver to show you how to operate them so that you can help in an emergency. This is very rare, and you should only operate in serious incidences.

Seatbelts

It is illegal for passengers not to wear seatbelts in cars and small minibuses (up to eight seats) and in larger vehicles where they are provided. It is Council policy that all vehicles used for school transport must have seatbelts fitted, so, all passengers (including Travel Passenger Assistants) must wear a seatbelt. If you must take your seatbelt off to help a child, ask the driver to stop the vehicle where it is safe to do so before you undo your seatbelt. You should never hold a child on your lap when travelling in a vehicle. Seatbelts should never be used to restrain a child or hold you and a child together. Children must stay seated and wear their seatbelts until the vehicle has stopped travelling.

Special seats and harnesses

These are provided by the STS for children with needs. Fitting and securing seats are the driver’s responsibility and securing harnesses is the travel passenger assistant’s responsibility. If you think a harness or special seat is no longer suitable for a child (who may have grown too big for a baby seat for example), please report it to the STS.

What to wear at work?

For your own health and safety, please wear flat shoes, tie up long hair and avoid wearing jewellery that could hurt a child. You could also get hurt if you wear jewellery that a child could pull at.

It is compulsory to wear your high-visibility vest and ID badge. Please make sure you always do this. Your driver should also wear an ID badge at all times. If your driver is licensed to drive a taxi, they should wear the photo license badge issued to them by a Local Authority. If your driver drives a larger vehicle, they should have a photo ID badge issued by their employer giving their name and the name of their employer.

Smoking at work

The Council has a no smoking policy. You must not smoke at any time during your working hours either on or around the vehicle or on the school premises.

Alcohol and drugs misuse

Use of drugs or alcohol during working hours is not permitted. If your work as a Travel Passenger Assistant is affected by your misuse of alcohol or drugs, you could face disciplinary action. Drinking alcohol between school runs may also lead to investigation or disciplinary action. You are therefore advised not to do this. If you feel you are misusing alcohol or drugs and you want to overcome this, you can get confidential counselling from the Employee Support Line.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis is a virus that affects the liver. The number of cases of Hepatitis B has fallen greatly in the last few years, but it is more common in children with severe learning difficulties. If a child you are escorting has hepatitis B, the STS will let you know.

In a rare occasion of this happening, travel passenger assistants would be advised to contact their GP.

This is extremely rare!

Hepatitis B is spread through direct contact with infected body fluids such as blood or saliva. If you think this may have happened, follow these guidelines:

• If you have been bitten or scratched by a child who has Hepatitis B, wash the wound or contaminated skin with warm soapy water or medical wipes. Let the wound bleed and don’t suck the skin.
• If you have been splashed with infected blood or saliva into your mouth or eyes, flush them with lots of water. Cover any broken skin with a waterproof adhesive dressing.
• Contact your GP and explain what has happened. If you can’t contact the surgery, contact your local A & E department within 48 hours. As soon as possible, contact the STS who will record the incident.

Personal safety at work

As a travel passenger assistant, you may, very rarely, find yourself in an alarming situation such as being faced with verbal abuse, threats, or physical violence. Any abuse must be reported to the STS who will advise you accordingly.

Harassment

Sexual and racial harassment are unlawful, and the Council is legally obliged to prevent such discrimination. We also try to ensure that employees are treated with dignity and respect at work. Please contact the STS if you have any complaint of harassment or discrimination. This will be taken seriously and will be thoroughly and sensitively investigated.

Summary

Training is part of your job as a Travel Passenger Assistant. Training helps you to do your job better and understand the specific needs of children with special educational needs. You will be asked to complete mandatory training online before starting work as an escort. You will then be called for Face-Face courses later. Training also helps you to protect yourself and others and helps you to work in a safe way.

• You must confirm your place-you should not show up for a course without confirming as all courses have a capacity level.
• You must confirm if you are not able to attend the course.

Introduction

Note: Some training is currently online by accessing our E-Learning portal. You will also be invited to attend some face-to-face courses which are normally held at Southampton Civic Centre. You can claim for all training completed-on your timesheet.

Safeguarding, First Aid and Manual Handling courses must be completed before starting work as a School Escort. These courses must be done online. An invitation will be sent out later for you to attend courses face to face. You will be expected to attend other courses which will enhance your role e.g., Disability Awareness and Managing Challenging Behaviour, Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) and Makaton. We will aim to give you as much notice as possible to allow you to make arrangements if you have other commitments or responsibilities during the day.

If you fail to attend training, you may not be able to keep working as a Travel Passenger Assistant.

Safeguarding

If a child tells you they have been abused or you notice other issues which concern you, you need to understand what to do with that information. This course advises you how to deal with these situations, how to report them and what your legal responsibilities on child protection are.

This course will need to be refreshed every 3 years.

Manual Handling

This course trains you to lift and handle in the correct way and should help you to avoid back problems and recognise where an injury is likely to occur. It will give you an insight into the workings of your body and point out how, just by moving and handling objects in a different way, you could reduce the risk of back problems.

You must attend this course – even if you suffer back problems and are unable to lift.

You are not required to lift or handle anything as part of your duties, but occasionally you may need to lift school bags in and out of the vehicle or in and out of storage areas.

Please note that parents/carers should move children in wheelchairs between their home and the vehicle. Drivers should load and unload children in/out of the vehicle and secure/unsecure the wheelchairs in the vehicle.

You may be required to move the child between the vehicle and school. This depends on the arrangements made with the school.

This course will need to be refreshed every 5 years.

First Aid

This is a basic Emergency Awareness Course, offering basic knowledge of resuscitation and how to deal with first-aid issues in a calm and decisive way until the emergency services arrive.

This course will need to be refreshed every 3 years.

Makaton

This is a very simple type of sign language, which is used by a lot of our children. Children who have difficulty communicating verbally are taught basic Makaton to help them get others to understand simple things they need such as ‘toilet’, ‘drink’ and so on. The course can be helpful in your everyday work of a Travel Passenger Assistant.

Disability Awareness

This course will cover areas such as: epilepsy, autism, other disabilities, and allergies.

Epilepsy-the training will provide you with basic awareness of the condition and helps to get rid of the myths surrounding epilepsy. We escort many children who have been diagnosed with epilepsy., so, even if you do not currently escort a child with epilepsy, it is likely that you will at some point in the future.

Autism-the course provides basic awareness about autism and helps you to understand children who have autistic spectrum disorder. The course will allow you to share your experiences with other staff and gain a better understanding of how to deal with an autistic child.

This course will need to be refreshed every 5 years.

Managing challenging behaviour

This course is designed to help you look at ways of dealing with children who display challenging behaviour. It makes you look at things in a slightly different way and understand the child’s perspective better.

This course will need to be refreshed every 5 years.

Equipment

All Escorts are issued with an ID and hi-vis vest both of which must always be worn. You will also receive an annual diary to record notes of incidents, term dates etc.