SEND Travel Options Officer in Luton

As a SEND Travel Options Officer, you will play a key role in ensuring that children, young people, and vulnerable adults can access education and services through safe, appropriate, and cost-effective travel assistance. You will be responsible for accurately processing applications for travel assistance for both mainstream and SEND pupils, with or without an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), in line with statutory guidance and council policies.

You will assess individual circumstances, investigate and clarify information where required, and explore whether travel needs can be met through existing routes and resources, promoting independence wherever possible. Acting as a first point of contact, you will respond to travel-related enquiries from service users, parents/carers, schools, day centres, and external contractors, ensuring issues are assessed, resolved, and recorded accurately.

The role involves coordinating and actioning changes to service users’ transport arrangements, including ad-hoc transport requests for vulnerable customers, looked-after children, and ASC clients. You will ensure that all relevant parties are informed of changes and that records are updated on the Council’s IT systems.

Working as part of the wider SEND Travel Service, you will contribute to the annual review of transport routes and service users for schools and day centres, planning routes logically to minimise travel times and maximise efficiency. You will represent the Travel Assistance Team at EHCP annual reviews, assessing ongoing eligibility for travel support and ensuring that any provision remains appropriate and supports independence.

You will discuss travel options with parents and carers, promoting suitable and cost-effective solutions, and produce clear decision letters outlining the reasons for decisions as well as the rights to review and appeal. You will respond to written and verbal correspondence within agreed timescales, liaising with internal fleet teams and external providers to resolve issues effectively.

In addition, you will maintain accurate records relating to routes, contracts, passenger allocations, contractor performance, and amendments, ensuring that comprehensive case notes clearly evidence decision making. You will also support the preparation and administration of stage one transport review panels and appeal panels, including liaising with panel members and parents, arranging meetings, and taking accurate notes.

This role requires a strong commitment to delivering a fair, transparent, and customer-focused service that meets statutory duties while delivering value for money and positive outcomes for service users.

You will have demonstrable experience of responding to complex queries and complaints, both verbally and in writing, and are confident handling sensitive situations in a calm, professional, and solution-focused manner. You will have experience of making decisions in an education, social care, or health environment, particularly in relation to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

You are able to research, analyse, and evaluate information to accurately assess eligibility for travel assistance for pupils with complex SEND, and to determine the most appropriate form of support in line with statutory guidance and council policy. You can demonstrate sound judgement when analysing problems and working collaboratively with parents, head teachers, senior staff, and partner agencies to secure agreement and commitment to a course of action, including supporting alternative ways of thinking where appropriate.

You will have strong negotiation, influencing, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including head teachers, senior professionals, and parents who may be distressed, angry, or frustrated, while maintaining positive and constructive working relationships.

You will possess excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, well-reasoned decision letters and respond effectively to follow-up enquiries and complaints. You are confident using and developing IT systems for record keeping, case management, and the production of reports and statistical information, ensuring accurate and timely documentation.

You can organise and prioritise your own workload effectively, managing competing demands and meeting deadlines while working within established policies, procedures, and statutory frameworks. You will have a strong understanding of equality and diversity issues, particularly in relation to pupils and young people with SEND, and are able to identify discrimination in service delivery, demonstrating a clear commitment to equal opportunities.

You will have knowledge and understanding of educational transport regulations, alongside an awareness of the SEN Code of Practice and its application in relation to transport provision. You will also hold a relevant professional qualification or be able to demonstrate equivalent relevant experience.

You must be willing to attend training sessions essential to the role, including Safeguarding, First Aid, DSL, Autism Awareness, Dementia Awareness, PATS Trainer, Contextual Safeguarding, FGM and Radicalisation, GDPR, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

This is a public facing role so you’ll need to show off your fluency in speaking and writing English.

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents. The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce!

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough.

Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare all unspent cautions and convictions; and also any adult cautions (simple or conditional), and spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020). A person’s criminal record will not in itself prevent a person from being appointed to this post. Applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying. However in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such offence, as detailed above, will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority.

On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.

Benefits include:

• From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
• Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
• Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
• Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
• Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
• Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
• Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part‑time hours and alternative working patterns
• Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
• Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
• Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel

We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high‑quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!