Passenger Assistants
Passenger Assistants Roles and responsibilities of a Passenger Assistant (PA)
Passenger assistants are provided on routes to care for the safety, comfort and well-being of passengers on journeys. They will take responsibility for your child from the designated handover point to a safe handover at school.
They are required to manage the day-to-day supervision of your child whilst travelling and will report any incidents which may arise during the journey. In conjunction with the driver, passenger assistants will ensure your child is seated securely and comfortably for the journey.
All Home to School Transport contracts employing external operators require them to be appropriately licensed according to the type of vehicle being used.
What training is provided for Passenger Assistants?
Passenger Assistants are provided with information, instruction and/or training to ensure your child is cared for. This includes Health and Safety, Safeguarding, Epilepsy Awareness, First Aid awareness, Medical awareness, Moving and Handling, Whistleblowing/ Professionalism at work, SEND Awareness and UK GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) Data Protection.
Where more intensive training is required for specific medical intervention this is provided in conjunction with other professionals following a risk assessment.
Police checks
All passenger assistants and drivers are vetted to an enhanced disclosure level through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Once vetted, an identity badge is issued by the Council which must be renewed every three years. All staff are required to carry their identity cards whilst on duty.