Independent Travel Trainer for SEND in Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Directorate: Adult Social Care and All Age Commissioning, Section: All Age Commissioning, Location: Civic Centre, Grade: Level 5, Salary: £26,403 - £28,598 per annum, Hours: 37 hours per week. This advert is open to both internal and external applicants.

The Role

Do you want to make a real difference? Do you want to try something new that you may not have considered before? Join our newly formed All Age Transport Service as an Independent Travel Trainer and help shape a service that empowers young people to become confident, independent travellers. As an Independent Travel Trainer, you’ll support children, young people and adults with additional needs, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to build the skills and confidence they need to travel independently and take positive steps toward adulthood. You will be joining an inclusive, supportive team with shared values and commitment to delivering a quality service. Travel Training is a brand-new area within the service, so you’ll also be joining at an exciting, pivotal moment, with the chance to influence how our new independent travel training is delivered across Stoke-on-Trent to make a meaningful, lasting impact on young people’s lives.

What you’ll do

• Play a vital and rewarding role in helping children and young people, particularly with SEND, gain the confidence and skills to travel independently by facilitating and delivering travel training.
• Conduct assessments (including home visits) to identify individuals’ travel training needs and develop personalised training plans.
• Tailor training plans to the unique needs of each young person, working closely with families, schools, and other services to ensure a safe, positive learning experience that promotes their ability to make decisions and develop confidence in travelling independently.
• Deliver one-to-one practical travel training in real-life settings, which will include road safety, personal safety, route planning and use of public transport to develop confidence and decision‑making skills.
• Conduct risk assessments and ensure safeguarding procedures are followed.
• Maintain accurate records, monitor progress against agreed outcomes, and attend SEN Review meetings when required.
• Promote equality, inclusion, and person‑centered practice.
• Work flexibly across various locations in Stoke-on-Trent, including early mornings or later in the day as “real‑time” travel practice may be required.

What we’re looking for

• Experience working with children, young people, or adults with SEND, learning disabilities, autism, or additional needs.
• No prior Independent Travel Training experience is required as full training will be provided.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, safe working and risk assessment practices.
• Patient, resilient, and confident working independently in community settings.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage own caseload effectively.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to build trust quickly.
• A calm, approachable manner with the ability to manage unexpected or challenging situations.
• Empathy, patience, resilience, and a commitment to inclusion and diversity.

Pre‑employment checks

• Right to Work in the UK
• Proof of address
• Satisfactory references
• Occupational Health Clearance
• Evidence of professional qualifications or registrations
• DBS check at the appropriate level (if applicable for the role)

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This position is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the successful applicant will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Stoke-on-Trent City Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this – we therefore encourage applications from all sections of our community. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees – a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed together.