Transporting Young People

The Supported Lodgings Service expects you to take all advisory and necessary precautions to ensure that driving is safe and within the legal limits. This relates to the mechanics of the car and having in place the appropriate licence and insurance, and the measures taken to ensure young people and all passengers wear seat belts whilst being transported and that driving itself is safely undertaken, and complies with the Highway Code and associated speed limits.

You must take responsibility as the owner or driver of a vehicle, ensuring that the correct licence, business rate insurance, tax and MOT certificates are in place and valid. Certificates will need to have been seen as part of the initial Supported Lodgings assessment process and thereafter an annual check of your certificates will be made during your annual review process to validate these documents in date.

Any changes including penalty points/endorsements that are issued to you (such as being banned from driving or receiving points on your licence) should be communicated to the Supported Lodgings Social Worker, and must be notified to the insurance company. The Supported Lodgings Social Worker will then notify the Team Manager who will notify the Nominated Individual and Registered Manager.

We recommend that a first aid kit is carried in the vehicle. The provider must ensure that the First Aid kit has not expired.

Any accidents where young people have been involved should be communicated as soon as possible and a written report provided to your Supported Lodgings Social Worker. Where medical treatment has been necessary this should be communicated immediately (or as soon after the accident when it is practical to do so) to the Supported Lodgings Social Worker and the decision made about who will notify the young person’s social worker and, where required and appropriate, the young person’s family.

You may be required to take young people to meetings/visits to see professionals or family members from time to time. These circumstances can and do lead to young people becoming upset, and caution should be applied when a journey in the car is being made when this occurs.

When young people are present in a vehicle, no smoking or vaping is permitted.

It is an offence:

• For a person of any age to smoke in a private vehicle that is carrying someone who is under 18;
• For a driver (including a provisional driver) not to stop someone smoking in these circumstances.