Minibus Driver

Our small team at Ellesmere Port provide an essential service to some of the most vulnerable in our community.

We provide a range of community transport services ranging from door-to-door transport for vulnerable individuals, outings for care home residents, day trips for community groups and home-to-school transport for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

We are looking for a drivers to join our team and help us to continue to make a difference in our local community.

We can be flexible in terms of work days/hours. Most of our services operate 7 days a week between 0800 and 1700.

**1. About ECT**
- ECT in Cheshire (ECT) provides **safe, accessible and affordable community transport **for communities throughout Cheshire West and Chester.
- ECT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and any vulnerable person using our services. In order to meet this responsibility, we follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.
- ECT is also dedicated to supporting and enabling **independent living**, **reducing isolation **and encouraging **social interaction**, especially for **vulnerable people **(such as older or disabled people or those with mobility difficulties who struggle to leave their homes). We also provide group transport to local voluntary, community and social groups.
- ECT in Cheshire is part of ECT Charity, a nationally-recognised social enterprise that creates **social value **through its **charitable activities**.
- ECT is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome all applicants and are happy to make reasonable adjustments during the selection process (and if a position is offered, in employment) if required.

**2. Summary of Role
- Our Minibus Drivers (**Drivers**) provide a range of community transport services ranging from **door
- to-door **transport for vulnerable individuals, outings for **care home residents**, day trips for **community groups **and **home-to-school **transport for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
- Our Drivers act with the utmost level of **professionalism**, **care **and **compassion **to ensure that passengers have a **safe **and **enjoyable **journey.
- Drivers also undertake **routine administration tasks **(e.g. recording mileage, cancellations, etc.) and are provided with **full training **on the technical skills required (e.g. safely transporting wheelchair users). Further detail on Drivers’ key tasks are provided below.

**3. Key Tasks**
- ** Collect passengers **from home address or other specified pick up point and **transport them safely **to their destination **(e.g. shopping centre, social club, places of interest, SEND schools).
- **Provide a door-to-door service and assist passengers **to and from the minibus (e.g. help with shopping or mobility aid).
- Ensure the passenger is **safely at their destination **(depending on passenger, this may include checking others are present, and/or confirming return arrangements).
- Prior to driving, ensure all passengers are **safe and secure **in the vehicle and that safety requirements are complied with (e.g. seatbelts or wheelchair restraints). Where appropriate, this will involve working with a Passenger Assistant, whose focus is on the behaviour and safety of the passengers.
- Conduct **vehicle defect checks **and record appropriately.
- Complete required **paperwork **with regard to passenger lists, mileage records etc. including feedback.
- Account for any **cash **taken during a shift if relevant.
- Attend and contribute at **team meetings**.
- Undertake all other reasonable duties as delegated to them by the operations team.

**4. Requirements for Role**

**4.1** All Drivers **must**:

- hold a **full UK driving licence**, including **D1 or D1 101 category **(please note that we cannot accept drivers with more than 6 penalty points or with previous drink driving convictions);
- be **over 21 **years old;
- have extensive **driving experience **(as part of a previous role or otherwise) and the ability to plan routes;
- be committed to high levels of **customer care **and be **caring and sympathetic **(particularly to the needs of older and disabled people);
- be **able to get on with people from all backgrounds **(e.g. people from all ethnic and religious groups, people of both sexes, people with disabilities) politely and sensitively;
- be reliable, conscientious and punctual;
- be **physically capable **of undertaking manual handling activities (e.g. assisting disabled people to walk to/from vehicle, carrying shopping, assisting wheelchair users);
- be able to read, understand and follow **written instructions**;
- have excellent verbal communication skills;
- be able to accurately **record basic information **(e.g. mileage records and fares collected); and
- be smart and presentable.

**4.2** Whilst it is _not required_, it is _desirable _if Drivers have:

- familiarity with local area;