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 license and insurance, and the measures taken to ensure young people 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, 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 penalties that are issued to you (such as being banned from driving or receiving points on your licence) should be communicated to the Supervising Social Worker and the Registered Person, and must be notified to the insurance company.

A first aid kit and fire extinguisher should always be carried in the vehicle.

Any accidents where young people have been involved should be communicated as soon as possible and a written report provided to your Supervising 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 Supervising 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 where a journey in the car is being made when this occurs.

When young people are present in a private vehicle, no smoking 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.