Dial a Ride Driver London, England
Job description
Dial a Ride Driver Attendant
Full Time Permanent Positions
Please note that applying for this role means you have read and understood this advert and any associated links.
Salary
The starting salary is £29,459-£35,935pa dependant on shift pattern, rising up to £31,181-£38,006pa dependant on grade, shift and length of service.
The salary during training is a flat rate of £27,504pa
Closing date for applications
Sunday 10th September at 23.59 hrs, however due to the high response expected for this vacancy we reserve the right to close this campaign once we have a suitable pool of candidates, which could be prior to the closing date.
About Us
Dial-a-Ride is a lifeline for many vulnerable people in London. It helps disabled and older passengers who are not able to use mainstream transport get around the Capital and is one of TfL’s great success stories. Join this team and you'll be delivering a service with an outstanding reputation which has been running since 1980. The service helps nearly 40,000 members who make 0.5 million journeys (and rising post Covid) a year.
Using accessible vehicles, as Dial a Ride Driver Attendant, you will be responsible for transporting passengers to and from designated points in a courteous and safe manner. You'll assist passengers who are less mobile by supporting them as required into and out of the vehicle following health and safety and other appropriate procedures, being mindful of passenger and personal safety, using appropriate equipment and manual handling techniques, and also transferring wheelchair passengers to a fixed seat in the vehicle.
We are looking for enthusiastic, flexible and motivated people to join our transport team. This is a very rewarding role where you will have an opportunity to make a difference within the community.
The Dial a Ride Attendant will:
- Drive to safe and professional standards (D1/PCV standards), all vehicle types operated by DaR in accordance with the Highway Code, including adherence to traffic and parking regulations and Blue Badge provisions.
- Using accessible vehicles equipped with a side bridge and rear ramp, pick up passengers to/from designated collection points in a courteous and safe manner. Ensure passengers are correctly secured on the vehicle with a seatbelt or with the use of various specialist wheelchair securing mechanisms. This involves being able to stoop, bend, twist, crouch down to the ground, reach up to a height and perform other motions in order to secure wheelchairs into designated spaces on the vehicle using approved safety restraints.
- At the start and finish of duty, undertake vehicle checks in accordance with legal and company requirements, report/deal with defects according to company procedures. Ensure that all necessary personal issue equipment for a day's duty is present and in good condition and that vehicles are refuelled/recharged as required. Very basic maintenance such as putting air in tyres and topping up oil and water levels is necessary.
- Ensure schedule and time of journeys are followed; maintain accurate journey records for the purposes of monitoring and improving scheduling, including comments and complaints from passengers. Drivers are issued with a Mobile Data Terminal which must be kept charged and regularly updated to ensure workflow reaches the driver out on the road.
- In the event of an incident, collision or other accidents, near misses, actual or potential hazards, risks and any issues on the road or in the work environment which may be affecting provision of service, immediately liaise with the Depot Duty Manager and/or Management Control Centre (MCC). Take remedial action to minimise risks where it is reasonably practicable and safe to do so, and complete company reports in a timely manner.
- Drive vehicles other than for the purpose of transporting passengers as directed.
- Assist passengers on a door-to-door basis. This involves the requirement to frequently climb several flights of stairs when required, lift and carry shopping of up to 20 kgs and/or belongings for passengers to and from their destination, lift and carry equipment such as shopping trollies, walking frames, folded manual wheelchairs and other aides required by the passenger.
- To push and pull passengers in wheelchairs of various sizes (average weight 123 kilos) up and down kerbs, on and off bus ramps, different gradients and levels. Moving wheelchair and user through 90 degrees in order to enter & exit vehicle.
- Carry out Dynamic risk assessments, including passengers, location and adverse weather conditions
Skills
- It is an Essential requirement to hold a D1 licence.
- Effective communication skills, good English language skills both oral and written with a wide range of people. (Essential)
- Have basic numeric and reading skills to be able to read and understand worksheets and plan journeys (Desirable ).
- Good problem solving and decision making skills (Desirable)
- Able to work in a team effectively (Essential)
- Ability to negotiate and influence (Desirable)
- Ability to remain calm and act professionally in difficult or demanding situations (Essential)
- Capable of supporting passengers getting on and off vehicles, lift mobility equipment, pushing and manuovering wheelchairs as well as carrying up to 20 kilos of shopping (Essential)
Knowledge
- Good understanding and up-to-date knowledge of the Highway code (Essential)
- Good knowledge of the Equalities Act 2010 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regarding working with vulnerable passengers and confidentiality and security of DaR members' personal and travel details (Desirable)
- Knowledge of basic vehicle maintenance and reporting procedures (Desirable)
- Have good understanding of the Company policy to ensure all equipment issued for work is kept in good order and take all reasonable steps to ensure they are not lost or broken. (Desirable)
- Good understanding and up-to-date knowledge of health & safety and manual handling procedures (Essential)
Experience
- Experience of working within an environment with limited supervision and capable of making well balanced decisions in a manner that is not detrimental to the provision of service to passengers and the policies of (Essential)
- Experience of delivering excellent customer service (Essential)
- Experience of driving a minibus sized vehicles or experience of driving vehicles of a similar size (Desirable)
- Experience of working in a pressurised and changing environment; meeting scheduled and changing trip arrangements (Essential)
Benefits
In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the business area but mostly include:
- Final salary pension scheme
- Free travel for you on the TfL network
- A 75% discount on National Rail Season Ticket and interest free loan
- 25 days annual leave, rising to 30, exclusive of statutory holidays
- Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional)
- Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
- Retail, health, leisure and travel offers
- Discounted Eurostar travel
To be eligible to apply for this role you must:
- Hold a full, clean D1 driving licence (or no more than 3 points), be over 21 with at least 2 years driving experience (desirable) or be willing to undergo and pass D1 licence training.
- Need to be energetic and be able to work independently and successfully within a team
- All successful applicants will also be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS Disclosure, full medical examination, a work-based fitness assessment, drug & alcohol testing, reference checks and relevant training
Shift Patterns:
Peak Hours
Five shifts per week rostered Monday to Friday between 08:00-18:00. The lengths of the shifts may vary slightly to suit business needs.
All Hours
Generally, five shifts per week though could occasionally be four but all with guaranteed 36 hours.
Shifts are rostered over Monday – Sunday between 06:00-00:00, the majority though are between 07:00-18:00
These vacancies will be based in one of the locations listed below. You will need to be flexible enough to work around these locations making allowances for your travel time to the location allocated. The business will recruit a waitlist. Successful candidates may be placed on a waitlist until drivers are required at their preferred location.
- East: Woodford Depot
- North: Palmers Green Depot
- West: North Wembley Depot
- South: Wimbledon Depot
We will ask for your location preference throughout the recruitment process but cannot guarantee that we can accommodate these.
As a Dial a Ride Driver you will be given extensive City & Guilds Accreditation to include:
- DATTS (Dial-a-Ride Assisted Transport Training)
- Emergency First Aid
- Dementia Awareness
- In the Zone – Hazard Perception
Application Process
The process consists of 3 stages including attending an Assessment Centre. You will need to pass each stage to progress to the next:
Stage 1: Online Application Form
As part of the application process you will be asked a number of screening questions, you will need to pass the pre-screening criteria to be eligible to go through to stage two. Please note you will need to upload a CV.
Please ensure you answer these questions carefully and ensure you check your answers before you submit your application. Once your application has been submitted, you will be unable to edit your answers and your application will be declined if you do not meet the required criteria.
Stage 2: Online Situational Judgement Test and Mindgage Cognitive Ability Test
Important Information
Once you apply you will be sent a link to an online tests via our assessment provider Talogy. This will be sent on a weekly basis and will always be on the Monday following the successful completion of your application and you will have 5 calendar days in which to complete from the date it was sent. The test will be sent out via Cubix Online. If you have not received the email by the Tuesday of that week, please check your junk/spam emails. No extensions will be granted, therefore If you are unable to complete your test within the 5 days, we would advise you to refrain from submitting your application at this time. If you do not complete the tests within 5 days of receiving the email, you will be automatically removed from the process.
(this process is subject to change and we will ensure you are informed of any outcome)
Stage 3: Assessment Centre - You will complete the following:
- Customer interactive role play exercise
- Competency Based Interview
You will need to produce your driving license in addition to a form of identification, and proof of right to work.
Stage 4 : Physical Capability Test
You will undertake a Physical Capability Test at Mandela Way during the onboarding for this role. This test will usually be scheduled for the same day as your Occupational Health Appointment..
Campaign Timetable
The campaign is running to a very specific delivery timescale as determined by the business and there are restricted dates for all assessment events. Dates for the Assessment Centre will be opened at the same time for you to book into. You are therefore encouraged to schedule into an assessment event as early as possible. Please note that no further dates will be made available.
Attending an Assessment Event
Please ensure:
- You have an active email address where correspondence, invitations to assessment events and practice material can be sent
- All your contact details including phone numbers, address and email are updated and current on your application
Candidate Charter
You can download a copy of the Candidate Charter here. This outlines our commitment to you as a candidate by providing insight into our recruitment process. It also outlines our expectations with regards to your engagement with us, to ensure that you receive the best recruitment experience possible, as we believe you should know the standards of service you can expect from us. You must read this document prior to submitting your application in order to understand every aspect of the process.
Reasonable Adjustment Process
If you require reasonable adjustments, you must notify the recruitment before booking your assessment ideally or at least 48 hours (excluding weekends) prior to your scheduled assessment event to allow us to accommodate your requirements. You will then be sent a confirmation email which you will need to bring to your assessment. If you fail to bring this on the day your adjustments will not be granted, and you will be unable to re-book.
We will consider that you are the expert regarding your own requirements, and we will consider all requests fairly within the context of the role.
Please take the time to read the Disability Charter here.
Notice of Cancellation
We require you to give a minimum of 48 hours' notice of cancellation or re-schedule. Non-attendance at your Assessment Event may lead to your application being withdrawn.
Please note that your assessment may be rescheduled once only; subsequent cancellation may lead to your application being withdrawn. If you do not follow the process outlined in the Candidate Charter you risk being withdrawn from the campaign.
Please be aware that the outcome of your final assessment will not be available until all suitable candidates have attended the assessment events. Outcome notification will be provided 10 to 14 days from the date of the last event. We will keep you informed at your assessment event when this is likely to be.
Appointment to Post
In order to be appointed to a post, candidates must successfully pass an enhanced DBS check, reference checks, work-based fitness assessment, medical screening and a drug & alcohol test. Candidates who do not pass the medical screening will have their offer of employment withdrawn.
Although you may be successful & offered the role – you may not commence employment in the role or start training immediately. There may be a requirement to delay your start date until you are required.
Training
When you commence your employment, you will undergo a full-time training course which will take a minimum of 5 weeks to complete including classroom-based training and depot training. You will receive a training salary until you successfully complete the training course.
Location
You will be assigned to a Depot dependant on where the business requirements are within our Dial a Ride network. Please note vacancies will most likely be in the north and west London area.
Contacting Us
If at any time you need to speak to anyone within the Recruitment Team, then please contact us on 0203 005 1680 (local rate charges from all phones including mobiles) or email [email protected]
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria.
