It’s an exciting week for 365 Response as we welcome our newest team member, Jennie Lucas. Jennie joins us as a Subject Matter Expert to help grow our knowledge and advise us on all things SEN Transport so that we can better service our Local Authority customers.
We believe in the importance of having a complete understanding of the demands and needs placed on councils, families, education providers, and transport services to provide an all-encompassing solution.
Jennie has a wealth of knowledge and experience, having worked for numerous local councils within SEN transport and most recently working for the largest Local Authority in the UK, Birmingham City Council.
Speaking of her first interaction with the 365 Smart Platform, Jennie said “I have been working in this area for many years and I have never found a transport software solution that not only supports but also improves services and overall experience for Local Authorities, schools, and families. When I first saw the 365 Smart Platform demonstration, I was blown away by the end to end system, that offers benefits for all those involved.”
Inspired by her father – a Paralympian who took part in the 1972 Paralympics and the Commonwealth Games – Jennie dedicates herself to improving services and support for children and vulnerable adults. She commented, “when you enable young people and their families to either access appropriate transport or ensure they are transported in the best way for them, you support them to reach their full potential.”
Continuing, Jennie described how transport and the ability to be mobile is embedded so deeply in each area of the everyday lives of those with special needs and disabilities; this is an area that can benefit from much improvement and we’re thrilled to have welcomed Jennie to provide training to our staff and further develop our solutions.
Jennie’s role at 365 Response
Jennie will be using her many years of experience working and running special education needs, mainstream, social care, and alternative provisions transport to advise and drive forward our ‘family first’ approach to ensure an inclusive, beneficial, end-to-end solution is offered to our Local Authority customers.
As a member of ATCO (The Association of Transport Coordinating Officers) and having worked closely with the Department for Education, Jennie believes first and foremost that internal training and understanding is key. She will be working closely with all of our teams to educate and keep up to date with changing legislation and best in class user experience, to enable the 365 Response team to continue to be at the forefront of digital solutions in the space and react quickly to changes in the future.
Sarah Fatchett, CEO and Founder said “we’re delighted to have Jennie on board to support us and improve our offering and her vital knowledge of how our systems should be used to truly benefit all stakeholders. We work closely with Local Authorities to offer the best possible assistance to schools, colleges, and families of those with special educational needs and disabilities. This is an area we are very keen to grow as many of us have firsthand experience in the importance of visibility and flexibility in SEN transport.”
A key element of Jennie’s role will be conducting focus groups and forum discussions with crucial stakeholders. She will be testing and consulting with parents and guardians, councils, schools, and transport providers. This research will inform our ongoing development plans ensuring we continue to lead the way in providing dedicated transport apps that are accessible for children and parents/guardians.
We are currently working with two of the UK’s largest Local Authorities to implement the 365 Smart Platform, to streamline their home to school transport systems and bring a host of benefits. This includes complete visibility of full fleet and resources, ensuring those with approved access know where pupils are at all times, in real-time, throughout their journey to and from school. Our innovative systems allow booking, scheduling, and tracking of all transport in one end to end solution and gives same-time and location information to schools, families, passengers, transport teams, and Local Authorities. This removes telephone calls and anxiety and improves the experience for all.
This is just the beginning for Jennie, and we will be publishing many more articles to share our updates and developments for our Local Authority customers.
If you would like to contribute or you are a transport provider looking to implement a SEN transport solution, please get in touch via [email protected].
