Safeguard Disability Awareness Training Manual
Safeguard Disability Awareness Training Manual
Disability !wareness
Training (D!T)
Keeping Passengers Safe
We recognise that all the drivers and passenger assistants who transport children, young
people and vulnerable adults in Oxfordshire play a very important role in keeping everyone
safe and we want to train and support you in doing this.
To make sure that everyone understands what they need to do to safeguard others,
Oxfordshire County Council is offering you support in different ways: via this manual, face-
to-face training and additional assistance with reading during the training session if
required.
Our message to all the valued transport drivers and passenger assistants throughout
Oxfordshire is a simple one – everyone needs to keep passengers safe and safeguarding is
everyone͛s responsibility; we will all be better at doing it if we have increased
understanding.
This important and valuable training package will give you an awareness and better
understanding of people with disabilities whilst also enabling you to ensure that your
passengers always receive the very highest standard of safety.
Yours sincerely,
Content
This manual will give you information on:
2. Safeguard Training:
• Picking up and dropping off passengers
• Transporting passengers
• Behaviour with passengers
• Conversations with passengers
• Physical or sexual contact
• Confidentiality
• Who to contact with concerns
This manual includes more detailed information on what we are doing countywide to keep
people safe.
A. Under the Equality Act 2010, You͛re disabled if you have a physical or mental impairment
that has a substantial and long-term negative affect on your ability to do normal daily
activities.
Assistance Dogs
Assistance dogs can be for:
• Sight loss
• Hearing loss
• Therapy dogs
• Specially trained seizure or stroke awareness dogs
REMEMBER: Assistance dogs are NOT only for people with sight loss.
IMPORTANT: You can only refuse to convey an assistance dog if you have a medical
exemption certificate.
• Some people with a learning disability can talk clearly and look after themselves whilst
others may not be able to communicate at all.
• A learning disability is NOT the same as a learning difficulty or mental illness.
There are different ways of communicating with passengers who have learning
disabilities:
• Communication systems e.g. Makaton
• Easy read symbols e.g. emojis
• Be patient
• Use plain speech but do not use baby talk
• Say what you mean and mean what you say to avoid confusion
• Speak with feeling
• Body language is also important when communicating with passengers
Autism
People with autism have different ways of understanding the world. Some people with
autism find it difficult to understand what we mean when we are talking, and some are
confused by rules and boundaries. Each person with autism is different with their own
preferences and needs and they can behave in unexpected ways. They may feel very
anxious moving from one place to another and when very upset they may not be able to
hear what is being said.
Epilepsy
People with epilepsy can have seizures. It is important that you have read their Passports or
other information supplied and know what to do. If a passenger has a seizure you need to
note how long this lasts and pass this message on to the relevant people.
Medical Health
You may also transport vulnerable adults who have a mental health condition such as
dementia or anxiety or someone with physical problems such as hearing or sight loss. You
will be advised on the best way to meet the passenger͛s needs by their family or care
professional.
Remember
• bag
• keys
• glasses
• stick
• purse/wallet
• dosette box with tablets
• coat
• hat
• lights off
• hearing aid
Also consider any additional information that you are given by a parent, carer or
establishment. For example, a carer might inform you that a child or vulnerable adult had a
very difficult evening and might be quite unsettled.
REMEMBER / you need to follow the instructions and advice you are given. Don͛t let
anyone persuade you to drop off passengers at an unplanned venue because, for example,
someone with dementia could get lost or get into difficulties and they might no longer be
safe. You may be advised not to talk with some passengers because they are too unwell to
understand clearly; please follow these instructions.
Seatbelts
• Best practice is for the driver and passenger assistant to wear their seatbelts as this
sets a good example for their passengers.
• Make sure all your passengers are wearing a seatbelt.
Practical Training
On the day of the training session, a practical demonstration will be given by video on the
following:
• Securing wheelchairs into vehicle tracking
• How to manoeuvre a wheelchair up and down a curb safely
To develop an awareness of abuse and neglect and how we safeguard children, young
Learning objectives:
Please read these questions and answers to help you understand more about who we are
trying to protect:
Q. Perhaps you are already transporting vulnerable passengers; how would you know
this?
A. They may find it hard to understand, behave in unexpected ways or have difficulty
finding their way; all of which can make them vulnerable to others treating them
badly. Other passengers may suffer from dementia, so they can͛t remember things.
Q. Who would you report to if you were a concerned about a passenger you transport?
• Speak to your manager
• Contact the Supported Transport Hub at Oxfordshire County Council
• Contact the Transport Quality Monitoring Team at Oxfordshire County Council.
• Contact Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
• Speak to the LADO
These are provided for children and young people, and for some adults with learning
disability
The passports give you all the information you need to keep your passengers safe. Please
make sure you read them, understand them and act on them.
We will show you examples of these when we meet on the training course.
There will be a small minority of adults who also carry passenger passports. In contrast to
children, the passport may not be carried in a bag, but it will be accessible to the driver or
passenger assistants. The type of information on the passport will be the same as for
children.
Q. What is abuse?
A. There are many types of abuse:
• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Neglect
• Self-Neglect
• Emotional abuse
• Psychological abuse
• Modern Slavery
• Domestic abuse
• Financial abuse
• Discriminatory abuse
Neglect
Q. What is neglect?
A. Failure to meet a child or vulnerable adult͛s needs, such as:
• not providing food, clothing, medical treatment and shelter
• not protecting them from harm from others
• not responding to emotional needs
There are other ways people you transport could suffer abuse:
• Forced marriage – where someone is forced to marry against their will. They can
happen in secret and can also be planned by parents, family or religious leaders. (This
is illegal, unlike arranged marriage which is legal).
• Domestic abuse – treating a partner badly. This includes humiliation, violence and
intimidation to punish or frighten them.
• Modern Slavery – when people are taken from one place to another to be exploited.
• Radicalisation – when people are encouraged to adopt radical positions on political
and social issues and when people are recruited for terrorism.
• Female genital mutilation (FGM) – the practice of removing some or all of a girl͛s
sexual parts. It is illegal in the UK and in many other countries.
• Child sexual exploitation (CSE) – a type of sexual abuse in which children are used for
sex, money, power or status. Children or young people may be tricked and think they
are being loved and that they have agreed to it. They might be invited to parties and
given drugs and alcohol.
• Grooming – when someone pretends to make friends to get someone͛s trust, so they
can eventually have sex with them. Children and young people can be groomed online
or face to face. Many children and young people don't understand that they have
been groomed, or that what is happening to them is abuse.
• County Lines – is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks
involved in exporting illegal drugs. They use dedicated mobile phone lines or the 'deal
line'. County Lines is a serious issue crossing County Council and District lines. It not
only involves drugs but also violence, criminal and sexual exploitation, modern slavery
and missing persons.
IMPORTANT STATISTICS:
Victoria Climbie
You may have heard about the tragic death of Victoria Climbie, a young child who died
from abuse. She had been seen by many different organisations, but no-one shared their
concerns. Look at the picture below to see how many people were involved with her.
It was a taxi driver who took action to help her because he was worried about how she
looked. He ignored what her great aunt said and drove to an ambulance bay and asked
for help. Sadly, Victoria died of her injuries when admitted to hospital, but the taxi driver
had done his very best to save her.
Question:
Do you know of any examples where taxi staff have helped safeguard a child or vulnerable
adult? Or maybe where they have not helped safeguard a child or vulnerable adult?
Lena’s story
10-year-old Lena was a child with autism who had special educational needs. Like many
children with autism she needed a clear routine and any changes in her routine needed
to be explained. If she became distressed music would always calm her down; she loved
Jessie J.
One day, her usual driver and passenger assistant were not free, and another member of
staff was sent.
Q. There are roadworks on the route and a diversion, what should the driver and
passenger assistant do?
A. Explain to Lena what has happened. Play her favourite music.
In this case study, if the driver follows the Passport instructions, Lena will travel calmly. If
not, Lena could become distressed and she could start lashing out. Not only would Lena
not be happy, but neither would her family and they may make a complaint.
THINK PASSPORT!
Ed’s story
A taxi driver was asked to pick up Ed, who had mental health problems, from the health
centre in Wantage and take him to an Oxford hospital. This was late in the evening and
the taxi driver was advised not to talk with Ed as it could upset him. The taxi driver
wanted to be friendly and chat but followed the advice and took Ed safely to hospital. By
doing so he avoided causing distress to Ed which also made it easier for the hospital staff
to help him.
Zara’s story
A taxi driver was transporting Zara, an elderly lady, from a care home to a day-care
centre and noticed she kept putting a piece of tissue on her eye behind her glasses. He
phoned the care home and they sent a care worker to the centre. Zara was taken to
hospital as she needed urgent treatment. Her family were grateful for the taxi driver͛s
prompt action.
If a passenger becomes violent or aggressive, remain calm and avoid shouting. Give them
space and report to your office and the transport quality monitoring team (if applicable).
It is important that you behave in ways that protect you and your passengers from risk.
You should:
• Read the guidelines provided by the council for all drivers and passenger assistants
• be professional
• avoid swearing and aggression
• always wear your ID badge
• sit lone passengers in the back seat (unless their passport says you should not)
Reporting Concerns
Drivers and passenger assistants need to safeguard vulnerable passengers just like anyone
else who works with vulnerable adults, young people and children:
• If you hear or see anything which makes you think someone might be at risk you
need to tell your office, manager or one of the contact numbers on page 15.
investigate.
USEFUL NUMBERS
A. No - the passengers will be collected at their usual scheduled times by parents and
carers
In this scenario, the coach driver gained 5 minutes on his/her route and therefore arrived
early at the next stopping place, letting a young infant off the bus whose parent/carer had
not yet arrived to collect her. The child went home with the parent/carer of another pupil
and when the mother arrived to collect her daughter, she found that she was not at the bus
stop and panicked. What do you think the consequences of the bus driver's decision could
have been? What should he have done?