Taxi services

Tender description

The City of York Council is looking for suppliers to provide home to school transportation services to its pupils and young people. There are 3 lots: Lot 1 — Home to Special School for children with learning and physical disabilities to get to York's 2 special schools; Lot 2 — Contact Visits for children, who have scheduled contact visits with parents; Lot 3 — General Transportation for children going to a range of places such as out of school clubs, day trips or visits out. CYC also requires for Lot 1 and 3 the use of Walking Assistants and Transport Trainers who will work on an individual level with specific children to encourage them to walk or use public transport. Passenger Transport Assistants are required for the majority of journeys. 1.1 The Provider is responsible for the safe and timely travel of the Passengers from their Homes to an Establishment in the morning and from the Establishment to their Homes in the afternoon. 1.2 Predominately the Provider will supply the Services before school and after school, although there may be an ad-hoc element should the need arise and the Provider will obey special instructions issued to it by the Council. Ad-hoc services will be required when, for example, a pupil is ill and needs to be taken Home in the middle of the day. 1.3 The Passengers have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) may have a variety of conditions or difficulties relating to them separately or in combination covering physical disability or emotional needs which affects their agility and/or behaviour in varying degrees of severity. The Provider will need to consider the individual requirements of each passenger when arranging and discharging their operational duties. The Provider will communicate all concerns and queries clearly to the Council and will work with the Council to manage Passengers on an individual basis. Passenger Individual Travel Plans will be issued by the Council as required and the Provider must follow instructions in these plans. 1.4 Many of the Passengers require a Passenger Transport Assistant, and the Provider will provide a Passenger Transport Assistant as required. The Passenger Transport Assistant will sit with the child / children as directed by the Council. The Passenger Transport Assistant will attend training courses as instructed by the Council. The Passenger Transport Assistant will be expected to form particular relationships with Passengers on an individual basis. The Provider will work to ensure the same Passenger Transport Assistant remains with a particular Passenger on a particular Route or Routes for the duration of the Agreement. The Provider will follow instructions regarding Passenger Transport Assistants as and when they are given. 1.1 The Provider is responsible for the safe and timely travel of Passengers to contact visits during working hours, though evening work may be required. 2 Journeys may be required for each contact visit, an outward and return Journey for a young person (or group of siblings). These contact visits are extremely sensitive for all parties and all parties may be under difficult emotional stress before and after the visits. It is paramount that the service operates smoothly and professionally to ease any stress and must not unintentionally add to the stress (for example, Drivers or Passenger Transport Assistants must not ask children about their parents). 1.2 Where a child is removed from a family and placed with a foster carer, there is a level of contact between the child and their birth parents which is set by a court. The age group of young people requiring this transport will be from 0 — 16 years. 1.3 This service requires a professional and discreet service that shows an understanding of the emotional needs of the young people being transported. Passenger Transport Assistants will be required for this service. The Provider must try to ensure that Regular Drivers and Passenger Transport Assistants are used to transport and assist the same Passengers where possible, in order to allow Passengers to develop confidence with the same Drivers and Passenger Transport Assistants. There may be a requirement for wheelchair or electric wheelchair provision on a case-by-case basis. 1.1 The Provider is responsible for the safe and timely travel of the Passengers from their Homes to an Establishment in the morning and from the Establishment to their Homes in the afternoon. The number of Establishments, timings and locations that the transport service is required to take Passengers to and from may change regularly. 1.2 This Contract will provide transport services including: — home to school transport for mainstream, SEND and Looked After Children (children in the care of the Council). There are approximately 250 pupils requiring transport. — transport for pupils attending Danesgate Community Pupil Referral Unit. This transport is booked on a weekly basis and is approximately 300 — 350 single Journeys per week. — transport at evenings, weekends, and during school holidays for Looked After Children, journeys to and from respite care, breakfast, after school and holiday clubs, and other provision. This is approximately 150 Journeys per month. 1.3 There may be fluctuations in transport requirements throughout the school year. Such variations will be agreed as part of the contract management process. Specialist vehicles and Passenger Transport Assistants will be required for this Agreement. Regular drivers and Passenger Transport Assistants may be required for this Agreement. Some journeys will be required outside of the City of York Council area. 1.4 Predominately the Provider will supply transport services before school and after school, although there may be an ad-hoc element should the need arise and the Provider will obey special instructions issued to it by the Authority. Ad-hoc services will be required when, for example, a pupil is ill and needs to be taken Home in the middle of the day. The services will not all be provided at the same time, and the Provider must manage the Passenger list effectively and carefully to reflect its changing and variable nature. 1.5 The Passengers have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) may have a variety of conditions or difficulties relating to them separately or in combination covering physical disability or emotional needs which affects their agility and/or behaviour in varying degrees of severity. The Provider will need to consider the individual requirements of each passenger when arranging and discharging their operational duties. The Provider will communicate all concerns and queries clearly to the Council and will work with the Council to manage Passengers on an individual basis. Passenger Individual Travel Plans will be issued by the Council as required and the Provider must follow instructions in these plans.