School Travel Officer

School Transport Officer, Temp

Your new role

Role Overview:
Main Responsibilities:

• Help manage the School Travel Service.
• Plan school travel and hire transport operators to ensure safe, suitable, and sustainable travel for students.
• Continuously improve travel routes and handle any issues or incidents.
• Support junior staff members.

Additional Duties:

• Keep the school travel database organised.
• Communicate with various stakeholders, like Children's Services, Health and Safety, Procurement, schools, colleges, parents, and other agencies.

Goals:

• Ensure services run safely, efficiently, and effectively.
• Contribute to making Southampton a preferred city for work and living by promoting a healthy and safe environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Provide Safe and Efficient Travel:

• Ensure safe and efficient school travel for children and young people aged 5-25.
• Maintain high customer service standards in a specific city area.

Plan and Operate Travel Services:

• Plan and manage daily travel operations, including hiring transport services.
• Optimise routes and support junior staff, following policies and procedures.

Coordinate with stakeholders:

• Work with various stakeholders to arrange travel, including passengers and necessary equipment.

Maintain Accurate Records:

• Keep the school travel database accurate and up-to-date for reliable management and reporting.
  

Handle Enquiries and Issues:

• Manage daily enquiries and resolve issues like timing, cancellations, behaviour, complaints, and incidents.
• Know when to escalate issues to the Senior School Travel Officer.

Support Decision-Making:

• Conduct casework to help the School Travel Team Leader decide on exceptional travel applications.

Assist with Appeals and Incidents:

• Help with research, preparation for travel appeals, investigations, and incident management.

Contribute to Risk Assessments:

• Participate in risk assessments, audits, and project work as needed.

Promote School Travel Services:

• Attend forums and events to support and promote school travel services.

Provide Office Cover:

• Take turns providing office cover in the early morning and late afternoon to support travel arrangements.

Core Deliverables

Functional Responsibilities:

• Ensure effective service delivery.
• Support various projects and work packages.
• Participate in transformation and improvement projects within the Directorate and across the Council.
  
  

Financial Management

• Deliver services within budget.
• Conduct procurement exercises according to regulations.
• Ensure purchase orders are in place for all suppliers.
• Comply with financial regulations, standing orders, and Council policies.
• Follow the Council's financial policies and procedures.
  
  

Customer Relationship

• Manage relationships with customers and stakeholders to ensure high-quality engagement and communication.
• Monitor and act on customer feedback to meet or exceed satisfaction levels.
  
  

Operational Effectiveness and Compliance

• Deliver services according to Council policies and best practices.
• Continuously improve service effectiveness.
• Comply with Health and Safety and Information Governance policies.
• Manage risks and issues that could impact performance or the Council's reputation.
  
  

Organisational Capability and Growth

• Support transformation programs according to service standards.
• Improve employee engagement and satisfaction through effective communication.
• Take responsibility for personal development, including Continuous Professional Development.

What you'll need to succeed
Education:

• At least 5 GCSEs (or equivalent), including English and Maths, with grades C or Level 6 and above.

Experience:

• Experience in school travel services or similar roles, working with various suppliers and partners.
• Problem-solving skills in high-pressure environments.
• Managing records and maintaining databases.
• Delivering excellent service and coordinating services.
• Professional experience equivalent to Level 3 (desirable).

Skills:

• Good communication with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficient in IT, able to use digital platforms, applications, and MS Office.
• Understanding of equality issues and their impact on the workplace and behaviour.

Additional Requirements
1. The post holder will be required to work full-time (pro rata) from the office, exceptional home-working to be agreed with the line manager.
2. The role can be offered as a job share; working days would be 0.5 FTE Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and 0.5 FTE Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, allowing cross-over on Wednesdays.
3. The duties and responsibilities highlighted in this job description may vary over time. Post holders are expected to undertake other duties and responsibilities relevant to the nature, scope and grading of the post.
4. The post holder must have the ability to understand the needs of a multi-racial society and be prepared to implement the Council's Equal Opportunities Policy at a level appropriate to the job and must at all times carry out his/her responsibilities with due regard to the Council's Equal Opportunities Policy.
5. The post holder is required to be familiar with the Directorate's Health and Safety Policy and be aware of and observe any part of the policy related specifically to the duties and responsibilities of the post.
6. The post holder must be compliant in Council training as required for the role.

What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
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