Issues affecting the provision of Travel Training
In general, transport is not considered as an issue for non-transport organisations, making it difficult for schemes to obtain support from these organisations.
Many Travel Training initiatives have emerged at a local level, but there has been little concerted top-down effort to bring about their strategic development.
No current guidelines for assessment procedures (e.g. care assessment, SEN statement) require an examination of transport or travel needs in any detail.
Many of the current schemes identified are fairly new, with most of those examined for case studies being 3 years old or less. As a result quantitative evidence of their effectiveness is limited. However, there is substantial anecdotal evidence to suggest schemes have wide ranging benefits.
There is some uncertainty about where the responsibilities for the provision of Travel Training should lie.
Some believe there may be ‘buck passing’ taking place with those working with younger age groups assuming students will be able to obtain training at a later stage in their development, when others will be responsible for funding it.
Some agencies fully recognise that Travel Training can provide significant benefits to some of their clients, but are concerned at the risks or simply do not have the resources required to meet the costs of implementing programmes.
The concerns of parents or carers about the risks of independent travel are regarded as a significant barrier to the take-up of schemes for young children or disabled people.
Across all schemes there is believed to be significant duplication of effort taking place in developing the programmes, techniques and tools that are needed for Travel Training.In the majority of schemes, Travel Training ADR Training , CPC Trainingis provided by using existing staff or volunteers as this is regarded as most sustainable. Training provided either takes the form of training for a specific journey or training for travel in general (i.e. any journeys the trainee may wish to make), although one is often seen as leading to the other. The skills that need to be taught to carry out a journey can go far beyond those required to simply use a particular mode. No accreditation for trainers or learners, specifically for Travel Training, that is eligible for support from Learning & Skills Council (LSC) funds at Harley Street Clinic, has been identified. However, there is LSC support for training for learning support workers and life skills that includes a Travel Training module.
TRAVEL TRAINING SCHEMES
There are believed to be some people who might benefit from Travel Training, but who fall outside the responsibilities of statutory agencies and are therefore unable to access statutory schemes.
A number of schemes identified a need to change the mindset or risk culture of the organisation, individual or their carer in order for them to take up Travel Training.At an individual level many Trainers found it hard to ‘let go’ of their responsibility for the client as it went against their instincts or previous care training.
A number of the schemes contacted were not able to identify their total costs precisely. For example, where core staff were used it was not usually possible to separate out their work on Travel Training from that on other responsibilities. Costs vary significantly according to the size of the scheme and depth of training undertaken via Umbrella Company..There are a number of schemes supported by innovation, regeneration and other short term funding initiatives that have concerns for their sustainability when these funds come to an end.
Keys to success
The keys to success most commonly identified by the schemes were:
- Having someone to champion the establishment and development of the scheme.
- Employing a Travel Training co-ordinator to act as the champion or to implement the scheme in conjunction with them.
- Adopting a positive and success-oriented approach.
- Delivering the scheme through a multi-stakeholder partnership (e.g. Adult Services,
- Local Education Authority, Connexions, Further Education Colleges, Passenger
- Transport Executives, road safety, HGV Training voluntary organisations).
- Integrating the scheme with existing staff, structures and programmes
- Securing long term funding.