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Salary: £51,356 – £54,495
Grade: 12
Directorate: Children’s Services
Section: Education Travel Support Team (ETST)
Location: Dudley
Contract: Full Time

Previous applicants need not apply

We are looking for an experienced, motivated and forward-thinking Travel Support Team Manager to lead our Education Travel Support Team (ETST). This is a key leadership role within Children’s Services, ensuring that over 900 children and young people can travel safely and reliably to school or educational provision every day.

The service supports a diverse range of children and young people aged 4–25, including those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), those in care, and those accessing respite or short-break services. You will be at the heart of a service that directly improves children’s daily lives and their access to education.

In this high-impact role, you will:

• Lead and manage a team of eight staff to deliver a safe, efficient and high-quality travel support service.

• Oversee the assessment of applications, commissioning of transport, contract management, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement activity.

• Manage approximately £10m of procured travel support services and ensure robust contract compliance, including audits, investigations and contractor performance action.

• Lead on safeguarding across all commissioned travel services including managing allegations, liaising with the LADO, carrying out formal interviews and, where necessary, making referrals to the DBS.

• Build strong working relationships with schools, transport providers, social care and education teams.

• Drive innovation and improvements, analysing performance and financial data to identify opportunities for efficiencies without compromising safety or quality.

• Prepare reports, briefings and correspondence and work with Legal and Procurement to shape future commissioning activity.

This is a complex, varied and rewarding role requiring professional confidence, strong judgement and the ability to work under pressure especially during peak operational periods.

About you

We are looking for someone who:

• Has significant experience in managing operational services, ideally in a transport, education or local authority setting.

• Can lead teams effectively, motivating staff and developing a culture of high performance.

• Has strong contract management, commissioning or procurement experience.

• Understands safeguarding responsibilities and can manage sensitive, high-risk decision-making.

• Is highly organised and able to work at pace, managing competing priorities.

• Is confident in handling complex issues, complaints and investigations.

• Builds positive, productive relationships with internal and external partners.

You will also need a full driving licence and business insurance. This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Workplace Attendance: Working in the office 3+ days a week (pro-rata) or Onsite full time

So that we can demonstrate Dudley’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and to improve bias in the recruitment process that could create barriers for candidates. Your personal data will be anonymised when you apply, to ensure that you comply with our anonymisation process, please ensure you have removed your name and date of birth from any attachments prior to uploading them to your application.

Online application forms will only be accepted for this vacancy, online facilities for jobs are available at public libraries within the Dudley Borough.

All applicants must be able to provide documentation to prove their right to work in the UK.

Please note: Dudley MBC does not currently offer sponsorship for candidates without the Right to Work in the UK.

If you require support completing an online or paper application form and or interview techniques, please contact Dudley Adult and Community Learning on 01384 818 143 or acl@dudley.gov.uk who can support with Digital Skills and Job Applications.

If you have a disability and require assistance in making an application please contact the HR Resourcing Team via HR.Resourcing@dudley.gov.uk

If you are experiencing a problem whilst applying for a position, please follow the link below to the WM Jobs Help Page in the first instance https://help.wmjobs.co.uk/

If the WM Jobs Help Page does not resolve your issue then please contact the HR Resourcing Team via HR.Resourcing@dudley.gov.uk

Dudley Council will check the information that you have provided against any details already held for accuracy and completeness. The Council will check, share and cross match your information both internally within the council and with external organisations to protect public funds and prevent or detect crime, only where the law allows us to do so.

The Council’s full Privacy and Disclaimer Statement can be accessed on the website at https://www.dudley.gov.uk/privacy-disclaimer-statement/

N.B. We reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the advertised date should we receive a large number of applications

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