Providing Accessible, Affordable and Reliable

Client Transport for North Area CHCP

North Area Transport Association (NATA)

In partnership with Glasgow North Regeneration Agency

CONTENTS

1.Introduction

2.NATA Vision, Mission and Aims

3.Our understanding of the project requirements

3.1Improved client transport

3.2NATA’s proposal

4.Our Approach

4.1Accessible, Affordable and Reliable

5.Our Methodology

5.1Robust systems and processes

5.2Added Value transport

5.3Employability training

6.Our staff and volunteer resource

6.1NATA key skills and qualifications

6.2Staff and volunteer management

6.3Equal Opportunities

7. Governance structure

8.Assets

8.1Vehicles

8.2Premises

9.Partnerships

10.Customer satisfaction processes

11.Pricing

12. Environmental policies

Appendices

1.Contact

2. Vehicle Technical Specifications

1.Introduction:

Thank you for inviting North Area Transport Association (NATA) to deliver this transport and employability proposal for the North Area CHCP.

NATA is a thriving social enterprise providing community transport services for vulnerable, socially excluded and disadvantaged groups in North of Glasgow.

Since becoming established, demand for NATA’s services has grown significantly. Over the last three years the number of return journeys provided has risen from a handful of hires to over 36,000 journeys in 2006/7. As a successful young company, NATA is now in a position to effectively respond to new market opportunities, in order to achieve sustainable growth as a social enterprise.

NATA has built up an excellent reputation for its services and now has a strong customer base in the North of Glasgow. It has a core of 47 member organisations that use its community transport services on a regular basis, as well as a wider market of users who are not necessarily members. NATA’s is currently building on its experience and expertise in providing a comprehensive, efficient and effective, community transport and escort service that is accessible, affordable and reliable.

NATA has robust systems and procedures in place to manage their operations, finances and administration. As a social enterprise, the organization is able to meet social needs through an enterprising solution that blends commercial and non- commercial funding. This flexibility allows NATA to work towards innovative solutions to community transport needs and provide a flexibility of service provision that can respond to local demand. It also allows NATA to work towards the Scottish Governments ‘closing the opportunity gap’.

NATA can deliver a high quality pilot project that will provide cost-effective transport solutions, enabling users to access local health services and facilities. We will work in partnership with Glasgow North Regeneration Agency to deliver a dynamic local employability programme. By utilizing this partnership, our robust management systems, experience of providing demand responsive transport, and fleet of fit for purpose vehicles, NATA can compliment the work of North Glasgow CHCP transport to achieve the twin benefits of efficiency savings and increased client satisfaction.

2. NATA Vision, Mission, and Aims

“social exclusion reflects the existence of barriers which make it difficult or impossible for people to participate fully in society” For many, the existing transport system dictates the places that people can go” (Social Exclusion Unit, 1998)

NATA’s founding aim and ongoing vision is to promote participation in society for all socially excluded target groups in north Glasgow by providing accessible, affordable, and reliable community transport that links effectively with local service providers.

NATA’s works in partnership with local community organisations and projects in the North Glasgow area, to help reduce the isolation and disadvantage experienced by local residents who face difficulties in accessing essential services and community facilities.

NATA’s core customer base is local organisations and projects that buy its services on behalf of their clients. Those local community organisations support the elderly, disabled, unemployed, vulnerable children, young people ethnic minorities and other socially excluded target groups.

NATA’s overall objectives for developing the Community Transport Service are to:

  • Enable increased access to essential services by socially excluded and physically isolated groups.
  • Enhance the quality of life of excluded and physically isolated groups.
  • Increase the capacity of local organisations to make their services available to excluded and physically isolated groups.
  • To work in partnership with public bodies to increase overall community transport effectiveness

3. Our understanding of the project requirements

3.1 Improved Client Transport

Community Health and Care Partnerships (CHCP’s) are the name given to the new organisations created across Scotland to provide community based and delivered health services. These include amongst others, health visits, district nursing, mental health, and children and families services. Glasgow’s CHCP’s are also responsible for delivering local social care services.

NATA understands the areas covered by North Glasgow CHCP as being:

Balmore, Balornock, Barmulloch, Blackhill, Cadder, Colston, Dawsholm, Firhill, Gilshochill, Hamiltonhill, Kelvindale, Kelvinside, Keppoch, Maryhill Park, Maryhill, Millerston, Milton, North Kelvinside, Parkhouse, Port Dundas, Possilpark, Robroyston, Roystonhill, Ruchill, Sighthill, Springburn, Stobhill and Summerston.

North Glasgow CHCP works closely with the local council, hospitals and community groups to break down traditional barriers that exist between community health, social care and specialist health services. It also works to strengthen partnerships with local employability, education and leisure providers that have the common aim of improving the health of local residents.

The CHCP aims to foster closer working relationships and better information sharing between health and social work professionals and local community support functions. With the aim of making it quicker and easier for patients to access local health and community care services. This will result in more streamlined and better co-ordinated services for patients with faster referrals and less delays.

Alex MacKenzie, Director North Glasgow CHCP:

“The new North Glasgow CHCP came into force on the 1st of April 2006. In the firstyear the emphasis will be on:

• Ensuring that patients, carers, members of the public, community and voluntary bodies and staff have a voice in the design and delivery ofservices.

• Producing an agreed plan for the future development of local health andsocial care services.

• Helping staff from health and Social Work services work closer together.”

North Area Transport Association1

NATA’s understanding of the rationale behind this new commission is simply that the North Area CHCP requires the provision of a more efficient and effective transport service for its clients. To enable the CHCP to deliver moreaccessible, affordable and reliable transport links. NATA recognises that the North CHCP has a current twin impairment of high cost client transport and an ‘escort drag’, which requires higher grade workers to undertake non-essential escorting duties, with the following negative impacts upon their core duties and morale.

We understand that the CHCP currently relies on taxis and staff vehicles to cover excess transport requirements that the main transport services is unable to deliver. This is an expensive solution that is not fit for purpose, financially or operationally. A more demand responsive service is sought that combines value for money, better management, and increased client satisfaction.

NATA also recognises that the CHCP requires greater flexibility from its transport services to cover peak transportation times, such as early morning and early evening. A flexible approach to transport cover is sought, coupled with better management of the available fleet.

3.2. NATA’s proposal

NATA can deliver a robust and demand responsive transport servicethat will provide added value, and which will be available at the peak hours of CHCP demand. Our team has extensive experience in delivering high quality transport solutions to community organisations within the same geographical boundaries as the CHCP. Our operational systems are benchmarked against commercial transport standards allowing us to effectively manage all aspects of our service.

NATA can also deliver a complimentary intermediary labour market pilot project to provide work placements and employment support for local residents. This will be facilitated in conjunction with Glasgow North RegenerationAgency.

NATAhas the vehicles, operational systems and trained staff in place to accommodate an additional pilot client transport service without disrupting our current activities (See schedule in section 5.3). Our vehicles are fit for purpose and we have strategic plans in place to expand our fleet to meet the requirements of future tenders.

4. Our Approach

4.1Accessible, Affordable and Reliable

NATA can provide a high quality, added value, transport service at a competitive cost using its unique competence in transport managementand its knowledge of the local area.This will enable CHCP health professional to concentrate on their core functions and reduce their reliance on taxi’s and other uneconomical forms of client transport.

NATA has the background and experience required to provide a high quality professional service. It can deliver the following added value solutions that will meet expected CHCP transport requirements:

Responsive, customer focussed delivery

NATA can offer a demand responsive, flexible transport service. This will be undertaken through a dedicated ‘hotline’ where health and social work practitioners can contact NATA direct for their transport requirements. NATA assumes these will be a mixture of advance and more immediate bookings. We will add value to this service by prioritising CHCP bookings over our current client organisations, and by operating ‘door to door’ to avoid the problem of clients getting to the transport and risks to personal safety.Our demand responsive service will follow this ethos:

“Services that adapt their itinerary and timetable to suit a particular transport demand.” (Transport for communities website)

NATA will operate a fleet of vehicles varying in size, from MPV’s to 16 seater buses. This allows all carrying aspects of CHCP transport demands to be met. We will also provide trained escorts for those journeys requiring them. Our professional customer care processes will enable all client satisfaction issues to be dealt with internally by NATA in a quick and efficient manner, freeing up management responsibility for CHCP staff.

Reduced costs and value for Money

Community transport can bring an added value that private and statutory operators do not. NATA canprovide a replacement service for Taxis and other expensive transport options currently in use. It also takes into consideration that NATA will manage the project more efficiently with its bespoke transport operation skills than is being presently done. Furthermore, CHCP staff, who had been used previously as expensive escorts, will be freed up to do their core work.

Community Involvement

NATA will actively increase their local volunteer base to compliment our new services. We will also seek to provide a tailored employability service for local unemployed residents that wish to work in the health and transport industry.

Local delivery expertise

This refers to NATA’s wealth of experience from its Operations Manager through to its well trained drivers. NATA has been successful in operating a flexible community transport model and can bring the skills harnessed from this to theCHCP transport needs. Theservice will be provided from a local community organisation that knows the north area of Glasgow. The majority of its drivers and volunteers live within the CHCP. Their involvement in the running of the project will help it develop to meet the future requirements of the community.

Social Purpose

NATA’s purpose, as set out in its mission statement, is to promote inclusion in society by all excluded groups. This social purpose allows NATA to provide flexible and responsive transport solutions through its blend of commercial and non commercial funding. As a social enterprise, NATA is committed to equality of opportunity and diversity in all its functions.

Employability

NATA can provide added value as part of this service delivery by offering local residents furthest from the labour market high quality supported employment opportunities as drivers and escorts. This will be done in partnership with Glasgow North Regeneration Agency. While we will also facilitate mandatory CPC training for local organizations to safeguard local transport jobs

5. Our Methodology

5.1Robust systems and processes

NATA has implemented sophisticated systems due to the growth of the organisation. This includes a new flexible Travel Manager system and streamlined contact management process. All the systems assist in providing information that is transparent and easily accessible. Altogether this allows NATA to focus on customer service delivery.

Booking system

NATA have a moved to a new electronic system which streamlines the whole process, from generating quotes to automatically producing invoices. In addition, the system allows vehicle and driver rostering and scheduling which greatly assists in operational flow. Employee holidays and sickness, Fuel Duty Rebate (FDR) reporting and form filling, Working Time Directive (WTD) compliance and vehicle maintenance are also main features of the system.

Database

NATA have put into operation a new sophisticated on-demand customer relationship management system to assist in the availability of information. It allows all contacts to be recorded, important information and correspondences to be noted, relevant documents attached and reports generated.

Financial systems

All financial systems have been moved from a paper-based system to an electronic system. A purchasing order procedure has been implemented and all incomings and outgoings are recorded.

Data capture system

A new data capture system as been developed and utilised to record all statistical information regarding passengers. All information is blinded and does not conflict with equal opportunities procedures.

Daily log books:

All NATA vehicles are compatible with all relevant construction and use regulations. All drivers carry out daily vehicle checks which include visual checks for oil/water leaks, lights, brakes and other serviceable equipment. Up to date records are kept for a period of no less than 15 months.

5.2 Added value community transport (CT) services

NATA provides a high quality CT service to all its users based on effective monitoring and evaluation. The activities of the project are monitored daily and reviewed on a monthly basis to assess cost-effectiveness and progress towards key targets.

A community transport recording system, based on a excel spreadsheet is in place to monitor the pattern of demand, (e.g. no of passengers, routes & mileage) and the condition of the buses. The value of the service to CHCP user groups will be assessed through regular customer feedback evaluation and through independent evaluation and agreed improvements will be incorporated into new product and process development.

The CHCP transport hotline

NATA will provide a dedicated telephone ‘hotline’ for CHCP bookings. This will be made available to all CHCP personnel involved in booking transport for patients. The hotline will be available between NATA’s office hours, and advance bookings will be able to be registered out of hours on an answer phone or by a dedicated email address.

In the event of a successful trial period NATA has investigated the possibility of providing a dedicated CHCP web based booking system. This has been demonstrated to be feasible and may prove to be a very useful resource for CHCP personnel.

5.3Employability Training

NATA will implement a pilot intermediary labour market project that will provide work placements and employability support to 8 local residents. This would be delivered in partnership with Glasgow North Regeneration Agency. It will be a 13 week pilot that will target young people and adults requiring employability support.

Trainees will work full time with NATA as training drivers/ escorts and administration assistants. They will receive comprehensive support to help them develop their core skills. The escorts can gain comprehensive training by working on CHCP transports. This will reduce the ‘escort drag’ that the CHCP is currently experiencing. Which involves forcing higher grade workers to take part in non-essential escorting duties, impacting on the time qualified social workers and practice team leaders have to so their jobs.

Participants will be able to increase core skills, confidence and employability, while also improving their chances of finding and sustaining work in transport related occupations e.g. bus driver, warehouse jobs, tele-handler, and self employed haulage.

Employability Programme

Trainees will work as full time employees alongside qualified drivers and volunteers and will receive comprehensive support, including training and employment guidance via GNRA and vocational training and personal development support via NATA

The new training will be managed by NATA staff with the following qualifications.

  • SVQ Level 3 in Bus and Coach Driving Instruction
  • Bus and Coach Training Certificate for PCV Driving Instructors
  • The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) Elementary Health and Safety Award
  • Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) - Managing Safely
  • Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) - Working Safely
  • Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) - Certificate in Team Leading
  • NEBS Management - Introductory Certificate in Management
  • Certificate of Professional Competence - Passenger Transport Operations
  • Certificate of Professional Competence - Road Haulage Operations Module 1
  • SVQ Level 5 in Management
  • Certificate in Management - Modern Apprenticeship
  • City in Guilds for PCV Driving Instruction
  • NVQ Certificate for Assessing of Candidates

CPC training