Who we are:
The Independent Travel Training Unit (ITTU) at Sandwell Council was established in 2009 to ensure that individuals in Sandwell would be able to maximise their confidence and opportunities through engaging with their local community and learning the skills required to complete a variety of journeys independently either as a pedestrian, or by using a variety of public transport options.
We are extremely proud of our 100% success rate and feel our team of dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable travel trainers are a credit to the work we do in raising the aspirations of individuals of all ages across the borough and beyond. We find every opportunity we can to celebrate the successes of our trainees, both past and present, and feel that the hundreds of individuals we have worked with over the last 13 years are enjoying much fuller, richer and independent lives because of their hard work and the skills we have supported them to develop.
What is Travel Training?
It is the process that teaches someone to learn how to travel a specific route on their own and in a safe and responsible way. We do this by offering:
- a unique learning programme specifically designed to meet each trainee's individual needs
- one-to-one flexible bespoke training by a qualified travel trainer
- support gradually phased out until the individual feels confident and competent enough to do the journey alone
- the option to achieve an Entry Level 3 qualification, nationally accredited by Open Awards in Skills for Independent Travel (for FREE!)
What do I gain from being an independent traveller?
As an independent traveller, you will:
- find it easier to get to school, college, day opportunity or work
- have more choice and be able to go to new places on your own
- have more freedom and more independence
- learn how to be safe on, and near, roads and in the community
- find out more about the community where you live
- be less reliant on family or carers.
As well as this, Independent Travel Training will help you with:
- Journey planning – how to get to where you want to go!
- Knowing what you will need to take with you for your journey
- How to stay safe when out and about in the community
- How to develop your personalised ‘coping strategies’ – including our personalised ‘what-if’ scenarios!
- Ways to develop and improve your confidence and independence
- Building your confidence to research, plan and competently travel by bus, train or tram!
Who is Travel Training for?
Anyone who would like to improve their independence skills, knowledge and confidence when planning and completing journeys in their local area and by foot and/or using public transport!
We work with young people from the age of eleven, all the way up to adults in their sixties – there is something in a Travel Training programme for everyone, and you are never too young (or old!) to improve your independence skills, confidence, and abilities when making journeys using public transport.
Travel training can be particularly beneficial to support young people about to complete their transition to secondary school or college or to adults who are about to start new day, voluntary or employment opportunities.
To make a referral or find out more, please use the following links:
You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
How much does it cost?
School-age referrals – Sandwell Council’s SEN Service determines who is eligible to receive Independent Travel Training. This means that individuals who are under 25 and currently in full-time education may qualify for free training according to the criteria set out in the Sandwell Council local offer.
Adult referrals – Individuals who are 18 years and over and access adult support services in Sandwell, or are in receipt of council funded transport, may qualify for the service to be funded on their behalf to learn a ‘meaningful’ journey – for example, to their place of education, training, employment, volunteering or their day opportunity.
If the above qualifying criteria are met the training is free, but you will need to pay your bus, train or Metro/tram fare if you are over compulsory school age. If you are registered disabled, you may be entitled to a free concessionary travel pass from Transport for West Midlands.- Check to see if you are eligible.
For those who don’t meet qualifying criteria or live outside of Sandwell, the service can be provided privately at a cost of £30.00 per hour. Please contact the team using the links below to discuss this.
Who delivers the training?
Specialist travel trainers experienced in working to support individuals who have a variety of physical and/or learning disabilities or difficulties, including Autism and social, emotional and mental health needs. Our trainers also work to support these individual’s families and carers to ensure the training process runs as smoothly as possible, delivering the maximum benefit to everyone involved in the individual’s life.
Our Travel Trainers all have a minimum Level 2 Award in Skills for Teaching Independent Travel Training accredited by Open Awards and extensive experience in working with individuals from all backgrounds and with a variety of diagnoses. We are a very welcoming team with the confidence to supportively push individuals to achieve their full potential through a variety of structured, planned and unplanned interventions.
Testimonials:
- BB – “I feel happy when I have taken the right bus. I feel happy because I am able to travel on my own. Thank you for travel training me to know what bus I should take!”
- BC – “I am feeling more confident now”
- CG – “I feel more adult travelling on my own”
- BC – “I feel that more people need to experience this”
- CB – “It has given me confidence about travelling alone and I know what to do if anything ever went wrong”
- SB - “I wasn’t sure about Travel training at first but I wanted to be independent, so I gave it a go. Myself and my parents thought this was a bit risky and they were very nervous, with the help from the Travel trainers and help from the Life Skills team my mom and dad felt ok”. “Being able to travel on my own makes me feel grown up and I feel a lot more independent”.
We understand that the process of Travel Training may seem confusing, not only to the individual, but also to their parents/carers, families and learning establishments too. Please follow the links to be taken to the parents/carers page and the learning establishment page where your questions will be answered, or contact the ITTU at travel_training@sandwell.gov.uk to see what the ITTU can do for you.
A qualification for Travel Trainers:
In addition to the work we do with individual trainees, the ITTU offers an accredited qualification for travel trainers: The Level 2 Award in Skills for Teaching Independent Travel is a nationally recognised qualification delivered in conjunction with Open Awards (3 units worth 8 credits). For further details please read the attached leaflet and/or visit the level 2 page for more information.
Together Improving Travel Abilities Now! Initiative (TITAN Initiative)
The ITTU is also particularly proud of our TITAN Initiative. TITAN – or Together Improving Travel Abilities Now is a fully inclusive programme of study outlining a set of target criteria and learning outcomes. The initiative can be run alongside the National Curriculum in separate TITAN sessions or can be embedded as a whole-school approach within all lessons and subject areas, embracing all opportunities as a chance to celebrate an individual’s achievement and to learn new independence skills.
As a fully inclusive programme of study, TITAN has particular appeal for SEN students, EAL students and students with low self-esteem/confidence; however it has universal appeal outside of these groups.
TITAN incorporates mandatory criteria in areas including road safety and planning a journey on public transport in the local area, to ensure children from the age of 2 have these experiences in preparation for later life!
TITAN also embeds an Entry Level 2 qualification in Skills for Travelling in the Community, which is nationally accredited by Open Awards, meaning schools can choose to register students, from age 8 onwards, to achieve a formal nationally recognised qualification (6 credit value).
“TITAN is comprehensive, user friendly and has a massive impact on a student’s life both in and out of school. This is the second school I’ve run this programme of study in and its success continues” (Learning Support Practitioner, Secondary school, Sandwell).
“The benefit of TITAN, is the clear breakdown of skills required to achieve each target and also the depth and breadth of aspects of public life covered. Ordinarily, we would explicitly cover areas such as using public transport just once through a child’s time in primary school… I can really see the benefits of this specific, discrete program to work through these skills with individuals, particularly children in need of one to one support, in preparation for moving to secondary school” (Primary School Teacher, Sandwell).
The TITAN Initiative is currently completely FREE to Schools in Sandwell! For further information please see the TITAN! page above, download the What is TITAN? leaflet, or email us to discuss the ITTU visiting your school.