Specialist Travel & PTB Officer

Human Resources & Development - Form 35a Version 16 - Issued February 2025 JOB DESCRIPTION AND PARTICULARS OF APPOINTMENT ▪ Job Title: Specialist Travel and PTB Officer ▪ Post Number: P11310 ▪ Grade and SCP: Grade 7 £28,598 - £31,022 ▪ Directorate: 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 Specialist Travel Team within the Passenger Transport Group (PTG) you will support the delivery of the transformation programme in line with the Council's vision, values and strategic objectives. The PTG provides a wide range of passenger transport services for Schools, Colleges, Special Educational Needs Pupils, Social Care and Public Transport passengers. The team are committed to providing high performing transport solutions for its clients at a competitive cost using innovative procurement solutions Overview of your role The Passenger Transport Group provides a range of transport solutions for children and adults across Shropshire to get to schools, specialist placements, colleges and day centres using both the commercial market of approved operators and the Council's own Passenger Fleet. We also manage the commissioning of all vehicles for Shropshire Council including gritters, library vans, public health vehicles and road repair vehicles. This role will assist in the commissioning and maintaining of all specialist transport in accordance with the requirements and needs of Learning and Skills and Adult Services clients with particular attention to the implementation and successful management of alternative travel assistance options such as Personal Travel Budgets (PTB's) and mileage expenses. Assist on the administration of risk assessments/passenger profile renewals and eligibility as and when requited to support the busiest times of year. Ensuring all specialist equipment required for pupils is ordered, issued with accurate process and records kept. Who will your manager be and what will you be responsible for? You will be: • reporting to Specialist Travel Co-ordinator who is in turn responsible for your health and safety, training and development. • 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? • Support the Specialist Travel Co-ordinator in delivering specialist transport services to include: • Assist in the procurement and monitoring of all contracted and voluntary transport services for Children and Adult Services with particular focus on the implementation and successful management of Personal Travel Budget (PTB's) and mileage expenses. • Assist with administration of risk assessments/passenger profile renewals • Lead on the process of ordering and issuing of specialist equipment ensuring proper process and recording • Deal with operational issues and make appropriate transport arrangements. • Calculate individual Personal Transport Budgets in line with transport policy. • Identify pupils who may benefit from Independent Travel Training, liaising with schools, colleges, parents and carers • Liaise with ITT colleagues as necessary. • Provide a full range of customer care services, offering polite, timely, friendly and supportive assistance to all customers in the context of resolving their concerns and complaints and addressing any other issues. • Maintain electronic and manual recording systems including the ONE system and assist in the development of management information systems. • Assist in undertaking the procurement via email quoting and other systems. • Deal sensitively and professionally with the needs and problems of those requiring transport. • Assist in the eligibility process if required • Assist the Designated Safeguarding Lead in any safeguarding concerns, issues and investigations as necessary • Assist in providing information for appeals as necessary • Review the operation of contracted transport and provide innovative solutions to identify savings and network efficiencies • Provide financial and passenger data as required • Answer telephone calls, deal with queries and problems, advise the public on services provided and keep a record of complaints and concerns. • Undertake general office duties such as post handling, filing and photocopying as well as offering support to other teams in the PTG as and when required. • Assist in the processing of recharges to other local authorities. • Assist in maintaining service continuity for all specialist transport services. • Provide effective liaison and working relationships with client staff in Children and Adult Services also with headteachers and staff, bus and taxi operators, voluntary transport organisations, other local authorities etc. • Work closely with colleagues, parents, schools and other partner agencies to resolve passenger concerns on transport • Assist in the development of information technology (IT) and management information systems (MIS) within the PTCG required for budgetary control, contract administration and monitoring, passengers carried, services provided etc. • Support other aspects of Special Team work areas, as and when required. • Carry out any other duties which may from time to time, be assigned to the post. 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. Your primary work base will be at Longden Road Depot, Shrewsbury with the requirement to regularly work from home. Your post is subject to the following: ▪ The post is Permanent for 37 hours per week, ▪ Normal office hours are 8am - 5pm Monday - Friday which works on a rota basis with a lunch break of 30 minutes. Occasional 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 one months' notice in writing on either side. The appointment is ...