Independent travel training
Independent Travel Training was launched in 2025 by Westmorland and Furness Council. This initiative is part of Home to School Transport.
Independent Travel Training is one of the ways that Westmorland and Furness Council provides transport support to eligible young people to access education. This is a new offer which is in its pilot stage of development.
Independent Travel Training has a number of benefits for young people:
- it gives young people increased independence, improved confidence and self-esteem
- young people become less reliant on parents and carers to take them to places
- it creates more opportunities to take part in social activities
- people may be more likely to find themselves work or volunteering opportunities because they can travel
About Independent Travel Training
Independent travel training is a new offer of travel training to support eligible young people to travel independently to school or college. Our travel trainer will work with young people to find out what help they need.
A dedicated trainer will go with the person on some journeys until they are confident on their own. It is a 'real time' tailored programme of focussed support expected to take around 6 to 8 weeks to complete.
Training can be one-to-one, in groups or in the classroom. The training gives advice on all the events young people might find on their journeys.
It covers all areas of a journey, including:
- personal and road safety awareness
- journey planning (what to take with you, what the weather might be like)
- journey preparation (leaving the home safely (locking the door)
- how to cope with an emergency or unexpected circumstances (cancelled trains, missed stops)
- using technology like travel cards and mobile phones
Access the training
Independent travel training is available for children and young people who are eligible for home to school transport support.
Priority may be given to young people transitioning to Post 16 education to prepare for adulthood.
How the programme works
Once the referral has been received, our Independent Travel Training Officer will make contact to discuss the referral.
The journey that the young person will potentially be making will be discussed, to establish how the journey could take place, for example by bus, rail or walking.
If suitable, the Independent Travel Training Officer will arrange to meet with the young person and their parent/carer based on the information provided at the initial referral stage.
They will discuss your individual circumstances and answer any questions you may have. A questionnaire covering pre-requisite skills and an initial assessment will then be conducted before a training plan can be written and put into action.
If at this point, it is felt that the young person is not suitable for travel training, then the referral is not progressed.
An initial risk assessment will be conducted, and this will be monitored at every stage of the training programme, along with regular progress reviews and updates to parents/carers.
Not a door-to-door service
The Travel Trainer may meet the young person at home to begin with, but as training progresses the Travel Trainer accompanies the young person to support them to become an independent traveller.
As training progresses, support is gradually reduced until the young person is comfortable and confident to make the journey independently. Throughout the training the Travel Trainer will be shadowing the young person and ready to step in to support if needed.
Once signed off as independent, a bus or rail pass will be provided until they reach the age of 19. This will replace any other home to school transport support that may have been in place.
If the young person needs refresher training in the future, this can be provided as part of the offer.
How to make a referral for Independent Travel Training
For more information on how to make a referral please contact the Independent Travel Trainer:
Telephone: 07768 996922
Email: ITT@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
By post: Westmorland and Furness Council,
Integrated Home to School Transport Team,
PO Box 304,
Kendal,
LA9 9GY.