Travel Training

Travel training is not currently available

Why travel train?

Everyone should have the opportunity to be as independent as they can be in all areas of their lives. At the heart of independence is the ability to travel independently and to be able to use public transport. This is an essential requirement of daily life which is often taken for granted by the majority of the travelling public.

As part of the Travel Assistance Service within the Department of Children’s Services, we train individuals with disabilities, learning difficulties and mobility or sensory impairments, enabling them to travel safely and independently. The training is conducted on a one-to-one basis and follows an individual learning programme tailored to meet the needs and requirements of each trainee.

We believe that safe, responsible, independent travel helps to promote inclusion for our trainees and is a vital step towards independence in their future by helping to support their integration into education, employment and society in general.

The benefits of travel training

Trainees gain a lot more confidence allowing them to become more independent in other areas of their lives and realise their potential.
Trainees gain essential and transferrable skills that will help them in future to access higher education, work opportunities and social activities.
It is a big step towards independence for our trainees, meaning they rely less on parents or carers to transport them from A to B.
It improves trainees social interaction and social skills.

How do I access travel training?

Potential trainees are referred to the Travel Training Team by parents or carers, schools or colleges, social workers or other agencies. The information collected is used to determine the suitability of the person being referred, and includes personal information, relevant medical history, the destination and information about any mobility, sight, hearing or behavioural issues.

What happens next?

The trainee attends an initial assessment where they can ask questions and find out more. Other interested parties can also attend such as parents, carers, teachers, social workers.

If everyone agrees travel training is suitable, a taster session will be arranged. The trainee will go with the trainer on the agreed route to evaluate the trainee’s current skill levels and set a starting point for the training programme.

Route planning

The next step would be to decide on the safest route and perform a comprehensive risk assessment on the journey to minimise risk wherever possible. It is important to note that independent travel will always have an element of risk and it is impossible to eliminate risk entirely. The training programme is designed to teach trainees to recognise and evaluate risks so they can develop appropriate responses to them.

Independent travel training

Once the route has been finalised, training begins on a one-to-one basis. New skills will first be demonstrated by the trainer, and once the trainee is ready they can start to practice the skills. Once the trainee gains confidence with a particular skill, the trainer will take a step back and allow for independent practice. As more skills develop, the trainer will step back further to allow the trainee to complete more and more of the journey independently. Ultimately, the trainer will be shadowing from a distance and the trainee will be travelling the whole route safely and confidently.