Independent travel training for young people with special educational needs and disabilities

Supporting young people with disabilities or anxiety to use public transport safely.

Independent travel training

Our Independent Travel Training Programme (ITT) is designed to help young people with special educational needs and/or Disabilities use public transport. The programme helps young people obtain knowledge and experience of a planned route and attain a high level of road safety skills.

We provide Individual travel training on a bespoke one-to-one basis with young people. By directly assisting the young people, their families and support networks, the training is tailored to suit the needs of each individual student.

Independent travel training transcript

(0:00 - 0:17)
I used to go to school in a guided taxi until mum asked me if I wanted to try this travel training programme that Oxfordshire County Council do. A travel trainer comes to your house and shows you how to get to school on the bus or train safely. My trainer's Charlie, he's really cool.

(0:18 - 0:39)
I was a bit worried about going anywhere by myself before we met but he's so friendly and kind I felt comfortable straight away. The week before we started travel training he came round to our house to introduce himself and show us the route he had planned. He explained he'd meet me before and after school, he'd show me the best way to get to the bus stop and then we'd get the bus together.

(0:40 - 1:40)
We talked about stranger awareness so I know what personal information I can give to people and when. We did fun workshops in and out of school about what to do if anything went wrong and safe places I can go to for help. He's taught me lots of useful skills, we practiced them a lot.

I struggled to understand the bus timetable which worried me but Charlie showed me how to use the bus app. If I miss a bus I don't panic now, I know there'll be another one soon. Charlie led the route for the first few days, he showed me safe places to cross the roads and how to keep safe.

When I started to get the hang of it he met me a little further away from home each time so when I was ready I could travel by myself. I'm going to miss seeing Charlie, he's really helped me. I like my new independence.

Travel training changed my life and mum's life because now she isn't rushing to get my sister to school while waiting for the taxi. I used to stay at home at the weekend but now I go out with my friends, it's given me lots of confidence.

For young people

Many young people may struggle with routes on public transport to get to their school or college. This can be because they don’t feel confident, struggle to navigate, or are unfamiliar with their local area. This can make it difficult to meet up with friends and family or even join after-school clubs or groups.

We hope that meeting a trainer on an individual basis can help make things easier for the young person to make some great steps towards skills for adulthood.

For schools and colleges

Training and assessments can be carried out whilst the young person is at school/college. They may request time out of lessons to do so. During our first meeting, this will be discussed with the individual and the school/college.

If the young person is transitioning from school to college or other education, we can also assist by preparing and training them for their new route.

The training process

Once we have received a referral, we will discuss as a team if we think the young person is the right fit and meets our criteria. We will then contact the referrer for the young person, to set up an initial meeting either at the young person’s home or school.

When we first meet, we will explain what to expect, discuss the route we will be taking, and learn more about the young person. We will also discuss any adjustments that we need to consider as part of the journey or programme to ensure that the training is completely tailored to the individual.

Our training may include topics such as:

Stranger awareness
Journey planning
Using a bus pass or money, and how to follow routes and timetables.
Green cross code
‘Safe Place’s schemes
Personal safety, including mobile (and online) safety.
‘What if’ scenarios

Training will be on a one-on-one basis, with the trainer supporting the student for their entire journey. Including walking to the bus stop, travelling with them on the bus and then going to their destination.

Who is this for?

You have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
You are/will be in full-time education.
You are/will be attending the nearest school or college that can meet your educational needs.
You are currently using supported transport from Oxfordshire County Council
You live over 3 miles away from your nearest school or college.
You are interested in learning how to travel independently

If you feel you do not meet these criteria, please still get in touch so that we can see if we can still support you.

How to apply

 Who can apply on behalf of a young person:

schools
colleges
parents/carers
professionals supporting the young person (such as a local council, medical professionals, care workers, support workers etc)

Please fill in the referral form (docx format, 67 KB) and email it to: independenttraveltraining@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Contact

If you have any questions please contact us and one of the team will get back to you.