This course is ideal for paid staff and volunteers who have care and supervision of passengers travelling by road – in cars, taxis, minicabs, minibuses or large buses. It covers legal, practical and safety issues and aims to improve passenger safety by providing the skills and information for passenger assistants to meet the needs of their passengers.

PATS is a modular course:

Module A: The Role of the Passenger Assistant

This is the basic module – the starting point for further training. It covers the role and responsibilities of a passenger assistant – the legal, practical and safety issues. It usually lasts about three hours.

Module B: Assisting Passengers with Disabilities

Includes boarding and alighting from vehicles and safety information concerning wheelchair users. It takes two and a half hours.

Optional Modules

Module C1: Supervising Children and Young People with Special Needs

This includes supervising children and young people with learning difficulties, autism, physical disabilities, sensory restrictions and emotional or behavioural difficulties. The module lasts for one and a half hours.

Module C2: Working with Adults Who Require Care and Supervision

This includes adult passengers with learning difficulties, dementia, physical disabilities, sensory restrictions and people in mental or emotional distress. It takes two and a half hours.