Home to school transport for children and young people with additional needs is not just a logistics exercise. It is a safeguarding service, a continuity service and for many families a critical part of their daily routine. 

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Passenger assistants sit right at the centre of this. They are often the consistent and trusted presence that helps a child transition safely between home and school every day.

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At DrivenPeople I have spent the last few years working closely with transport operators delivering SEND and vulnerable passenger services, supplying both passenger assistants and drivers at scale. One thing has become very clear to me. Quality in this space does not happen by accident.

It starts with recruitment. Passenger assistants need more than availability. They need the right mindset, experience and temperament. We spend a lot of time speaking to candidates about why they want to work in this environment and what experience they already have with children or vulnerable people. Interviews go beyond CVs and focus on real situations, safeguarding awareness and how candidates communicate under pressure.

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Training is just as important. Before anyone steps onto a route they complete a structured induction covering safeguarding, health and safety, data protection and what is expected of them in the role. We then work with accredited training partners to deliver specialist training such as autism awareness, managing challenging behaviour, epilepsy awareness, wheelchair restraint, emergency procedures and where required medication administration. Training is never a one off. Refresher training and route specific briefings are built in.

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Consistency matters more than people often realise. Many children rely on routine and familiarity so we do everything we can to keep the same passenger assistants on the same routes. When changes are unavoidable they are managed carefully with proper briefing and handover so service users are not impacted.

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Behind the scenes compliance has to be watertight. Enhanced DBS checks, right to work verification, references, training records and renewals are all actively monitored. Operators we work with can clearly see this without chasing paperwork or relying on spreadsheets. Everything is current, transparent and easy to access.

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Flexibility is also essential. Absence and last minute changes are part of home to school transport. Having access to a pool of vetted and trained passenger assistants who already understand SEND work and safeguarding standards is what allows services to keep running smoothly.

When passenger assistant provision is done properly everyone benefits, children feel safer, parents feel reassured, schools see fewer issues. Operators can focus on delivering the service rather than firefighting gaps.

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That is the standard we try to set at DrivenPeople. Not just filling shifts but supporting a service that genuinely matters.

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