Job Description

Assisted Travel Officer

Full time: 37 Hours per Week - Permanent

Salary: Cognus Band 2, SCP29 - SCP37 33,149.62 - 37,116.30

Location: Cognus Office, First Floor, Cantium House, Wallington, SM6 0DZ

Cognus Limited is a Local Authority Traded Company, which is commissioned by the London Borough of Sutton to provide education services to early years providers, mainstream schools and specialist education settings in Sutton. Wholly owned by the local authority, we deliver a wide range of high-quality services to deliver excellent practice that improve the lives of children, young people, and families in Sutton and beyond.

Cognus' Assisted Travel service is a statutory service that ensures that young people are able to travel to school or college when they would otherwise be prevented by circumstance, disability or need. The team works with parents, contractors and educational settings to ensure the safety of students as they travel between home and school.

This exciting post has become available in the team to help organise transport for pupils, deal with issues and complaints arising from the service provided by contractors and so ensure the service is safe & appropriate for each pupil travelling. Working flexibly with colleagues to ensure the phones are staffed between 07:30 - 17:00 during term times.

Some of the tasks required of the postholder are detailed below:

To organise home to school transport for eligible children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. To act as the point of contact and maintain good communication with families, schools and contractors in the provision of assistance with home to school transport. To ensure that the transport arrangements are appropriate, efficient and reasonably stress free, to enable passengers to arrive at school ready for a day of study and are delivered by suppliers in line with contract performance standards. Record and maintain contract & client details on databases. Produce service user surveys and analyse results. To tender school routes out to external providers
You will give us great commitment and in return we offer an excellent package including:

i) Starting salary of 33,149.62 per annum (Cognus Band 2)

ii) Workplace pension scheme 4% to 8% matched contributions

iii) 28 days annual leave pro rata (plus Bank Holidays)

iv) Regular manager support and supervision

v) Hybrid and flexible working

vi) Staff benefits package; currently including Employee Assistance Programme, Life insurance, Employee benefits platform and (upon completion of probation) Health care [Cognus reserves the right to adjust these additional discretionary benefits to improve quality of their services provided, maintain affordability for the Company and to ensure benefits remain fit for purpose with staff needs.]

vii) Staff EDI group and Mental Health First Aiders to support wellbeing and inclusion.

viii) Cognus Coaching Programmes

ix) An ambitious culture with friendly and supportive colleagues

If you are interested and would like to be considered for this role, please apply to recruitment@cognus.org.uk with the completed application form, downloaded from https://www.cognus.org.uk/work-with-us/current-vacancies/cognus-application-form/, outlining your suitability.

The deadline for receipt is midnight on 9th November 2025. Candidates are requested to be available for interview on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th November.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive high volumes of applications

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Helen Cullip, Assisted Travel Manager at

helen.cullip@cognus.org.uk

All offers of employment are subject to successful completion of recruitment formalities which includes an enhanced DBS check. These checks must have been completed before the commencement of employment. We expect our staff to have due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and to follow the child protection procedures adopted by the Company and Sutton's Local Safeguarding Partnership.

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION: Assisted Travel Officer

DIVISION: SEND

REPORTS TO: Assisted Travel Manager

GRADE/PAY: Cognus Band 2 SCP29 - SCP37, 33,149.62 - 37,116.30

LOCATION:

Cognus Office, First Floor, Cantium House, Wallington, SM6 0DZ

JOB SUMMARY

To plan and procure safe and good value client transport services, in accordance with all corporate audit and procurement policies and procedures. To have the day-to-day responsibility for arranging transport services and monitoring contract performance to ensure the highest achievable quality of service is maintained for the Council's Clients meeting all statutory health and safety standards. To act as the first of contact for families, schools and contractors in the provision of assistance with home to school transport. To act as the initial contact to deal with any enquiries including complaints. To maintain and update transport and corporate finance database/software systems, which are used to control transport, procurement and financial spend and ensure we meet all GDPR rules. Schedule and carry out site visits to spot check compliance from external transport operators.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

The main duties and responsibilities of the postholder are indicated below although other duties of an appropriate level and nature will also be required.

i) To arrange transport for the London Borough of Sutton (LBS) Children's Services including Special Educational Needs pupils, children's social care transport and mainstream students.

ii) To manage the school transport network undertaking all transport route planning for these services ensuring that all appropriate transport solutions are reviewed including independent travel training, integration of public transport services and contracted transport.

iii) To ensure that we receive sufficient client information to undertake a full transport needs assessments (including risk assessment) of a student's needs and the arrangement of the appropriate vehicle and special needs equipment including a passenger assistant with appropriate training e.g. suction or epilepsy training etc.

iv) To ensure that client transport is provided efficiently and without additional cost whenever possible. This will involve the continual reassessment of current transport provision, with a view to integrating public transport or amalgamating routes where possible, in order to provide financial benefit to LBS, whilst ensuring that individual customer needs are still met.

v) Undertaking transport area reviews, annually or as required. This will involve ensuring that all client and establishment information is correct and up to date and, using specialist route planning software, where possible, seek to create more efficient transport networks.

vi) Procurement in accordance with all current corporate procurement policies and procedures. This will involve preparing information, obtaining quotations via ADAM (or appropriate dynamic purchasing system) and ensuring that all approved operators are provided with the opportunity to provide a quotation.

vii) To monitor the contractual performance of operators, which will involve site visits as required, maintaining a complaints database and where necessary awarding contract penalty points, or in the instance of termination, making the appropriate recommendation to the Assisted Travel Manager.

viii) To ensure that all financial data is accurate and up to date, this information will then be used by the Assisted Travel Manager and SEN Finance manager to provide monthly financial information to the London Borough of Sutton.

ix) To manage and process weekly service receipts/invoices from operators relevant to service and process for the LBS Finance Team.

x) To conduct risk assessments of Clients as required, ensuring that all requests for equipment are referred to the Assisted Travel Manager for procurement.

xi) To manage/monitor the behaviour that may be displayed by some of the service's more challenging students; this will require creative problem solving and close working with operators, parents and educational establishments.

xii) To deal with public enquiries and complaints about transport matters, liaising with operators, establishments, centres, parents and clients as necessary, proposing appropriate actions to resolve problems and where necessary provide a robust framework for the Assisted Travel Manager/LBS commissioning team to take disciplinary / contractual action against operators.

xiii) To support the development of partnership working with all key stakeholders in the provision transport services and where necessary attend site visits.

xiv) To provide cover in the absence of the Senior Assisted Travel Officer

xv) To comply with all relevant Health and Safety requirements set out in legislation.

xvi) Any other duties as appropriate for the level of this post.

xvii) To Liaise with families and schools to communicate travel arrangements and manage expectations around assistance.

REPORTS TO: Assisted Travel Manager

SUPERVISES: None

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Required to commission home to school transport.

CONTACTS: Parents and carers, schools including headteachers, and other professionals, operators, other teams within Cognus.

GENERIC OBJECTIVES:

Contribute to Cognus Limited's business objectives at the appropriate level by ensuring every child matters and has access to education and learning opportunities, including:

a) Health and safety

b) Safeguarding and protection of children

c) Equal opportunities and management of diversity

d) Data protection

e) Outstanding Customer care

GENERAL:

S

AFER RECRUITMENT:

Cognus is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that it works with. An offer of employment is subject to safer recruitment practices which include an enhanced DBS check, two professional references acceptable to Cognus Limited, proof of qualifications, proof of right to work in the UK, proof of personal address and employment history covering 5 years and, fitness to work with children (occupational health assessment). These checks must have been completed prior to commencement of employment. We have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practices across the organisation.

PROCESSING OF DATA:

a) You ("the employee") consent to the holding and processing of personal data provided by you to the Company ("the Company") for all purposes relating to your employment, but not limited to administering and maintaining personnel records, paying and reviewing salary and other remuneration and benefits, undertaking performance appraisals and reviews, the compulsory Disclosure and Baring Services check (DBS) details in line with its statutory responsibility to safeguard and protect children and vulnerable service users; maintaining sickness and other absence records and taking decisions as to your fitness for work.

b) You hereby acknowledge and agree that the Company may, in the course of its general and statutory duties as an employer be required to disclose personal data relating to you for legislative purposes during or after the end of your employment. This does not affect your statutory rights under the General Data Protection Regulation 2018.

CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT:

a) During the course of your employment, you will have access to and knowledge of Company confidential information and trade secrets.

b) Disclosure of any of this confidential information and/or trade secrets could have serious financial consequences and/or create serious competitive disadvantages for the Company. There may be material damage, financial or otherwise, deliberate or otherwise, to the Company's legitimate business interest.

c) Under the terms of this confidentiality agreement, you agree to keep secret and shall not at any time, either during employment or post-employment, use, communicate or reveal to any person any trade secret or confidential information relating to the Company or any Associated Company.

d) You are aware of the Company's policies in relation to compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation and undertake to act in accordance with these at all times. Any breach of these policies will be dealt with under the Company's disciplinary procedure and action taken can include dismissal without notice.

This job description and person specification outlines the summary of key accountabilities and is not an exhaustive list of duties and, is subject to periodical review and changes in line with the business needs.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The main duties and responsibilities of the post holder are indicated below although other duties of an appropriate level and nature will also be required as necessary.

The postholder will be expected to have:

An awareness of the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) (E/I/S) A practical, can do, outlook. (E/I) Experience of provision of assistance with home to school transport. (D/I) A willingness to acquire and maintain an understanding of the legal framework underpinning the provision of assistance with home to school travel. (E) To work alone and make immediate operational decisions. (E) Confident in handling challenging conversations (E)

Experience

Experience working within a transport setting and overseeing route and contract management. (D/I)

Experience and understanding of working with Children and Young People with SEND. (E/I/S)

Experience in a customer service role, or a similar role with direct contact from service users. (E/I)

Experience of undertaking risk assessments including people-based need assessments (E/I)

Experience of provision of assistance with home to school transport. (D/I)

A good working knowledge of Word and Excel. (E/I)

Experience as a user of database software. (D)

Experience of undertaking financial transactions (D)

Aptitude and Skills

Candidates must be able to demonstrate:

Strong oral and written communication skills. (E/I) Strong organisational skills. (E/I/S) Strong customer service skills, with the ability to remain professional and courteous while under pressure. (E/I) Analytical and problem-solving skills to produce practical solutions to the routing and scheduling of passenger journeys. (E/I) Be prepared to work outside peak office hours and as part of an early (start 07:30) and part of late team finish (17:00) during term-time. (E/I) The ability to work flexibly, able to rearrange workload in relation to changing priorities in order to meet the needs of customers and the business. (E/I) The ability to work as part of a team, sharing working knowledge and skills. (E)

Key:

D - Desirable

I - Evaluated at interview

E - Essential

S - Shortlisting criteria

T - Subject to test

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: From 33,149.62 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Wallington SM6 0DX