“Every day I have the privilege of helping children with special needs to get to and from school safely. It’s more than just a job to me. It’s a chance to make a positive difference in their day.”
Hina Aslam is one of Calderdale Council’s 62 drivers, transporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) between home and school.
This important work is also supported by the Council’s 78 passenger attendants. Together with the drivers, they help to make young people, aged 5 to adulthood, feel safe and supported on journeys that are key moments in their day.
The Council now has a need to boost its driver and passenger attendant numbers and has launched a new recruitment campaign.
The number of pupils eligible for home to school transport is growing, so demand for the Council’s transport service is at an all-time high.
The Council has a legal duty to provide this service when required. Using Council-employed drivers and passenger attendants with the Council’s own mini-buses avoids the need to spend money on external taxis to get children and young people to and from school.
Cllr Danielle Durrans, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, said:
“Calderdale is known for its kindness, and that’s at the heart of our 10-year Vision 34 to make the borough a better place for everyone.
“Our amazing drivers and passenger attendants are real life examples of kindness in action. They’re enthusiastic and caring people, passionate about helping others. As well as supporting children with special educational needs, they help older people with disabilities to get to day centres. It’s really rewarding work with split-shift hours that could work well for many people.
“Demand for the home to school transport service has continued to increase, and we want to provide a good service and value for money by transporting pupils in our own minibuses rather than external taxis.”
Cllr Adam Wilkinson, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, added:
“It’s inspiring to see the difference that our drivers and passenger attendants make to the children they’re taking to school and back, and the impact the children have on them.
“We want all children and young people to thrive at school and achieve their best, and these staff play an important part in this.
“So we’re calling out for people who could join the team and help to keep children safe and supported.”
As part of the recruitment drive, the Council is showcasing how rewarding the job can be, using quotes from existing drivers. Here are just a few:
Javed Akram
“I have been working as a Driver Attendant for Calderdale Transport Services for over two years. Every day is rewarding and different. It’s a pleasure to be a part of a family of workers who want to make a difference to the community.”
Kayleigh Hayes
“To see the people we transport happy and cheerful and to be a part of that makes me happy. To have that bond is amazing, to be what the service users need at that time – a friend, a jokester, a shoulder – is so rewarding.”
Hina Aslam
“Every day I have the privilege of helping children with special needs to get to and from school safely. It’s more than just a job to me. It’s a chance to make a positive difference in their day. It’s truly the most rewarding part of what I do.”
Bev Brown
“The best thing about my job is getting to work with the most inspirational little people every day. No matter what is happening in life, I smile every single day while at work.”
Chris Moffatt
“I go home each day knowing I made a big difference to the day for the children on my bus, and to see them smile is the biggest reward ever.”
The job adverts are available in the following links:
Passenger Vehicle to Minibus Driver (career graded)(external link)
Neighbourhoods Driver/Operative(external link)
Vision 34 is a shared, long-term ambition to work towards over the next 10 years to make Calderdale a better place for everyone, based on the stories that unite us.
The Vision 34 themes are enterprising, opportunity, kind, welcoming, hope, heritage, nature and creativity. Through these themes, organisations and people from all walks of life are encouraged to share their positive stories about life in Calderdale.
Share your story on the My Calderdale Story(external link) website.