Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) Co-ordinator

Human Resources & Development - Form 35a Version 16 - Issued February 2025 JOB DESCRIPTION AND PARTICULARS OF APPOINTMENT ▪ Job Title: Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) Coordinator ▪ Post Number: P25611 ▪ Grade and SCP: Grade 10 ▪ Directorate: Passenger Transport Group, Infrastructure Where your role fits at Shropshire Council As Shropshire Council we are rightly proud of our achievements and we have proven to be a resilient local authority in our response to the many challenges we overcome, particularly over recent years. We will be continuing this momentum with ambition and a focus on delivering our four key priorities outlined within the Shropshire Plan: Healthy People, Healthy Environment, Health Economy and Healthy Organisation. We are committed to achieving this by aligning everything we do to our vision 'Shropshire - living the best life'; to tell everyone that Shropshire Council is a great place to be. We will enable a skilled, happy, healthy, diverse, inclusive, empowered, and proud workforce that influences and leads change, addressing any inequalities. As a member of the Public Transport Team within Passenger Transport Group, you will support the achievement of these key priorities, making a real difference to the lives of people in Shropshire. The Passenger Transport Group provides a wide range of passenger transport services for Schools, Colleges, social care and public transport passengers. The service is committed to delivering safe, reliable and cost-effective transport solutions, ensuring value for money whilst maintaining high standards of service delivery through effective contract management and partnership working with transport operators. Overview of your role Take full operational responsibility for the day-to-day delivery of Shropshire's Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) service, Connect On-Demand, ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant service provision through direct management of drivers, dispatch staff, and service resources. Who will your manager be and what will you be responsible for? You will be: ▪ ▪ reporting to the Public Transport Manager who is in turn responsible for your health and safety, training and development. responsible and accountable for DRT drivers and dispatchers, acting in a supervisory/managerial capacity, monitoring performance, supporting development and undertaking annual appraisals. ▪ Exercise operational control over the delivery of the DRT service, ensuring staff carry out duties effectively and service standards are met consistently ▪ Take responsibility for handling and resolving operational matters, including complaints, customer enquiries, and internal investigations, ensuring responses meet corporate standards and timescales ▪ expected to lead and/or contribute to a range of projects and build relations with both internal and external partners in order achieve specified outcomes but will not have direct authority over those involved. ▪ Responsible for preparing responses in line with Shropshire Council's corporate processes and national/regulatory/statutory processes (e.g. complaints, MP enquiries, Information Governance requests, customer enquiries, media enquiries, HR staff investigations etc..). These responses should be in line with the quality and timescale expectations set out within Shropshire Council's published procedures and/or case allocation emails and discussions. ▪ Responsible for completing within expected timescales all mandatory corporate and role specific training. Training requirements will be detailed in your corporate induction and Personal Development Plan (PDP). Courses are accessed via the council Learning Management System via the Intranet. What will you be doing? Manage and take accountability for the day-to-day delivery of the DRT service, ensuring dispatch functions operate effectively and journeys are delivered reliably. Oversee real-time service performance, directing staff and making decisions to resolve issues and maintain service continuity. Lead and manage drivers and dispatch staff, ensuring roles are clearly understood and consistently delivered. Monitor performance and take appropriate management action to address underperformance, attendance, and conduct issues. Promote high standards of professionalism, accountability, and customer service across the team. Take responsibility for staff rotas, resource allocation, and service coverage. Ensure compliance with GB domestic drivers' hours regulations and relevant legislation. Manage staffing pressures and make adjustments to maintain operational delivery. Ensure operations are delivered safely and in compliance with all relevant legislation and Council policies, including Section 22 requirements. Enforce vehicle and driver compliance standards, including pre-use checks. Work with the Vehicle Maintenance Officer to ensure vehicles are maintained, roadworthy, and service-ready. Manage the recruitment and selection of drivers and dispatch staff as required, including involvement in shortlisting, interviewing, and appointment decisions in line with Council procedures. Support workforce planning to ensure the service is appropriately resourced and capable of meeting operational demand. Manage the training and development of drivers and dispatch staff, including induction and refresher training. Identify and address development needs to support safe and effective service delivery. Lead the management of operational incidents, complaints, and service disruption. Direct staff in resolving issues and ensure appropriate recording, investigation, and follow-up action. Maintain accurate operational records and ensure data is complete and up to date. Monitor service performance and take action to maintain standards, providing updates to management as required. Work in close collaboration with the LBS Coordinator and wider Public Transport team to implement service changes and ensure operational readiness, providing clear feedback on delivery requirements, risks, and constraints to support effective service design and continuous improvement. The above duties are an illustrative outline and are not an exhaustive list. You will be expected to become involved in a range of work to enable the service to respond effectively to the changing requirements of the Council and changes affecting the workforce. What we expect of you You will: ▪ adopt a customer focused approach when delivering your service, ensuring engagement with service users and maintenance of an appropriate personal profile, ▪ act as an advocate for your service and work collaboratively with colleagues across the whole Council to meet the needs of the people of Shropshire, ▪ meet individual, service and personal development targets agreed through the Personal Development Review Process, learn from experience and are committed to continuous improvement individually and as an employee of the Council, ▪ work with colleagues to meet your team's key performance indicators, support a culture of team working and ensure the team functions successfully in support of the Council's corporate and service objectives. ▪ meet the behaviours and competencies adopted by the Council in the way in which they achieve their objectives and carry out their work. ▪ A priority for the Council is the protection of vulnerable people, ensuring they are able to live as independently as possible. The post-holder will promote and engage with Council's responsibility to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and adults, and protect their right to be safe from harm. What are your conditions of Service The conditions of service are those laid down by Shropshire Council, which have been adopted and amended as necessary from those laid down by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services. You will be based at Longden Road, Shrewsbury. Your post is subject to the following: ▪ The post is Permanent, for 37 hours per week, ▪ Service operational hours are 7.00am to 7.00pm Monday - Saturday, you will be required to work 5 days per week, 7.4 hours per day with a minimum lunch break of 30 minutes. Occasional earlier morning/evening/weekend work may be required. ▪ The post is subject to the Council's annualised hours scheme as implemented within the specific work area. This post carries eligibility to join the Local Government Pension Scheme. Information about this will be sent with any formal offer of appointment. Annual leave entitlement is a pro rata flat rate scheme of 207 hours (28 days) annual leave plus bank holidays, with five days extra awarded to those staff with five years local government service giving an entitlement of 244 hours (33 days). Two days of an employee's allowance (pro rota for part time staff) must be taken at Christmas for any potential Christmas closures. Employees who work in a building/service which is required to open over the Christmas period, the two days leave (pro rota) can be carried over into your next leave year but must be used by the end of March. The appointment is subject to two months' notice in writing on either side. The appointment is subject to six months' satisfactory probationary service during which time the notice period will be one week on either side. Smoking is not allowed in Council buildings, in Council vehicles or in any Council place of work. It is a condition of your appointment that you provide a suitable vehicle for the performance of your duties and that this is readily available for use during normal working hours. You are entitled to claim for reimbursement of the costs of travel on council business at the rate of 45 pence per mile. What pre-employment checks will we undertake? The appointment is subject to receipt of the following pre-employment checks; 1. Satisfactory employment references, 2. Medical report, 3. Evidence of the qualifications required for the post/listed on your application form,