Travel Training

Why travel train?

Everyone should have the opportunity to be as independent as they can be in all areas of their lives. At the heart of independence is the ability to travel independently and to be able to use public transport. This is an essential requirement of daily life which is often taken for granted by the majority of the travelling public.

We believe that safe and independent travel helps to promote inclusion, particularly for children, young people and adults with a learning disability or learning difficulties, mobility or sensory impairments. This is a vital step towards independence for their future helping to support access to education, employment and society in general.

The benefits of travel training

• To increase confidence, which will then allow people to become more independent in other aspects of life and realise their potential.
• To gain essential and transferrable skills that will help them in future to access higher education, work opportunities and social activities.
• It is a big step towards independence, meaning less reliance on parents or carers to transport them from A to B.
• Improves social interaction and social skills.

Travel Training within the Department of Children’s Services

As part of the Travel Assistance Service within the Department of Children’s Services, we train individuals with disabilities, learning difficulties and mobility or sensory impairments, enabling them to travel safely and independently.

The training is conducted on a one-to-one basis and follows an individual learning programme tailored to meet the needs and requirements of each trainee.

How do I access travel training for Children and Young People?

Potential trainees are referred to the Travel Training Team by parents or carers, schools or colleges, social workers or other agencies. The information collected is used to determine the suitability of the person being referred, and includes personal information, relevant medical history, the destination and information about any mobility, sight, hearing or behavioural issues.

What happens next?

The trainee attends an initial assessment where they can ask questions and find out more. Other interested parties can also attend such as parents, carers, teachers, social workers.

If everyone agrees travel training is suitable, a taster session will be arranged. The trainee will go with the trainer on the agreed route to evaluate the trainee’s current skill levels and set a starting point for the training programme.

Route planning

The next step would be to decide on the safest route and perform a comprehensive risk assessment on the journey to minimise risk wherever possible. It is important to note that independent travel will always have an element of risk and it is impossible to eliminate risk entirely. The training programme is designed to teach trainees to recognise and evaluate risks so they can develop appropriate responses to them.

Independent travel training

Once the route has been finalised, training begins on a one-to-one basis.

New skills will first be demonstrated by the trainer, and once the trainee is ready, they can start to practice the skills. Once the trainee gains confidence with a particular skill, the trainer will take a step back and allow the trainee to take the lead.

As more skills develop, the trainer will step back even further to allow the trainee to complete more and more of the journey independently. Ultimately, the trainer will be shadowing from a distance and the trainee will be travelling the whole route safely and confidently.

To make a referral

Please contact [email protected].

Contact us

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01274 436199

Travel Training within the Department of Adult Social Care

For adults with an assessed and identified social care need, where travel training may form a part of a wider support package for example attendance at a Daytime Activity service, similar training is conducted on a one-to-one basis and follows an individual learning programme tailored to meet the needs and requirements of each adult.

How do I access travel training?

There are two routes to access travel training in Adult Social Care both involve an assessment of need.

Route one is at the initial Care Act Assessment. The Social Work Team undertaking the assessment will consider the appropriateness of travel training to the individuals’ goals and, where deemed appropriate may consider travel training as part of the individuals’ support package.

Route two is where the individual is already receiving an Adult Social Care support package and where travel training may be considered during a review of a previous assessment undertaken by a Social Work Team or following referral of an individual by their existing Daytime Activity service Provider.

The assessment of need undertaken by a member of the Social Work Team, as part of a individuals’ wider support plan, will seek to add value by developing stepping stones to full independence such as learning a single regular journey first (for example from home to a daytime activity service).

Who will provide the travel training?

There are a number of Providers on our Daytime Activities Provider list who are well placed to offer travel training to individuals with an assessed need.

Where travel training is agreed as part of a support package, the Social Work Team will discuss with the individual involved the best Daytime Activities Provider who will provide the training.

Beyond this, the practical arrangements surrounding travel training will follow a very similar approach to that described in the Department of Children’s Services section above.

For more information

Please contact the Independent Advice Hub

Telephone: 01274 435400