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TITAN travel training
As a volunteer Travel Buddy, you will support young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and or vulnerable adults to become confident, independent travellers. TITAN Travel Training is a comprehensive programme that offers training, both in schools (for SEND students) and in the community. It empowers the individual to become part of their community; opening a world of new opportunities to take part in further education and employment as well as becoming more socially active.
Making a difference
The role is extremely rewarding, and you will see a real change in the people you support. Engaging with someone who may never have travelled independently before and seeing their confidence grow is always great to see. You will enable individuals to overcome barriers by supporting them to believe in their potential and develop their skills to become independent travellers.
TITAN Trainees tell their story
A typical session as a travel buddy
You will be engaging and supporting people who are moving on to further education or employment and building on their existing skills for safe travel, working with the same individual until they are ready for independence. The role is challenging, rewarding and varied. For example, one session you could be at the young person’s school working on problem solving skills and the next be out practicing a journey on public transport with them. At the end of each session you will track the progress made using our simple tracking system and liaise with your dedicated Locality Coordinator to discuss how the session progressed.
Benefits of volunteering as a travel buddy
You may have some free time and want to make a difference to people in your community or you may want to improve your knowledge and skills. Either way as a Travel Buddy you will gain so much satisfaction and enhance your own personal development. We offer a full training package to ensure you have all the skills you need to become an excellent Travel Buddy.
We of course will provide you with a travel card to use on public transport whilst you are volunteering and reimburse any reasonable expenses you incur i.e. fuel costs for getting to and from different locations.
Previous Travel Buddy volunteers share their experiences of travel training young people
We’re looking for people who are
- Confident, friendly, patient and a good listener
- Able to build a positive rapport with young people and adults with SEND
- Able to maintain a professional and supportive learning environment for the people you are training.
- Excellent at managing your time to ensure reliability.
- Great problem-solvers relating to travelling independently.
- Able to access a smartphone and ability to use apps.
- Knowledgeable about the local area you will be volunteering in.
Hours and location
After your training period we would like volunteers to commit on a regular basis to a minimum of 2 hours per week. Delivery of independent travel training is based around your availability and the young person’s/adults’ so there’s lots of flexibility. You can choose the days and times that work best for you and the people you will be supporting. Access to reliable personal or public transport and ability to travel in your chosen locality are required.
Travel Buddy volunteers who are car drivers
Before you start volunteering as a Travel Buddy it’s important you check that your car insurance includes business use cover. Although this is an unpaid role, you will be driving to and from locations on behalf of Norfolk County Council (NCC) to the location where you’ve arranged to meet your trainee for travel training, so business use cover is essential. NCC pays for your mileage at 45p a mile. This mileage rate covers the costs of buying, running and maintaining the vehicle (such as fuel, oil, servicing, repairs, car insurance, vehicle excise duty, MOT and depreciation of the vehicle.)
Next steps and how to get involved
If you would like to become a TITAN Travel Buddy, working with either or both young people and vulnerable adults simply complete the expression of interest form and we will then contact you to talk through the opportunity in more detail. Throughout the process we will be on hand to help you get started, empowering young people and adults to become independent travellers.
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