School Mini Bus Drivers & Passenger Assistants

Minibus Driver and Passenger Assistants

25 hours per week

Channels & Choices is an award winning, dynamic company specialising in children’s residential care, Fostering and Education based in South-East Kent. OFSTED judge our services as ‘Outstanding’

Channels and Choices Therapeutic Community specialise in working with children who have experienced trauma, most will have an attachment disorder.  We create a secure base for all the children in our care and we focus on achieving the best outcomes for these children.

We are currently looking for 4 Drivers and Passenger Assistants to drive our school minibuses. This role will involve transporting some of our children from our residential homes to the Sallygate School and from school in the morning and afternoon. The routes cover the Deal, Sandwich, and Dover area (routes will be split accordingly).

Drivers will be responsible for safely operating the minibus, collecting pupils, and transporting them to school for 8:45am, collecting them from school at 2:45pm (Monday to Friday) and transporting them back to their residential homes and return the vehicle to Kearsney Manor.

We require one person to drive the mini bus and one person to be an escort to support the children during the journey.  Ideally both people would be able to drive the mini bus in case of emergencies.

We envisage that both journeys combined will take up to 5 hours per day and will be required 5 days a week in school term time.  The mini buses will need to remain at Kearsney Manor during the daytime and overnight when not being used to transport children to and from school so anyone interested in this position will need to be able to make their own way to and from Kearsney Manor.

We will be paying £10 per hour and Flexi contracts, or self-employed status can be considered.  A full and clean driving license is required, and you must be over 21 years of age due to insurance purpose.  There are no specific driving requirements for you to drive this type of mini bus, however D1 entitlement will be desirable and on-site training will be given.

We have a strong commitment to staff development and there will be considerable opportunities for internal and external training and for sharing good practice within the community

Channels and Choices are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the young people in our care.  Staff are all required to adhere to the organisation’s Safeguarding Policies and Procedures.  This post will be subject to a clear Enhanced DBS Disclosure, an employment background check, satisfactory references & verification of a right to work in the UK.  As part of our commitment to Safer Recruitment, CVs cannot be considered without a completed application form.

Closing Date for all applications  –  23^rd December 2021.