Updates to Surrey Choices Transport

Dear Customers, Families, and Carers,    

We are writing to let you know about the progress of the In-House Transport changes.  

Recruitment 

We have successfully started recruiting for Drivers and Passenger Assistants to begin with us in September who we are looking forward to welcoming to our team. We will shortly be sharing with you information on who your driver will be. When we last wrote to you, we let you know that we had recruited a new external Community Transport Manager however due to personal reasons he has decided not to start with us. I am pleased to say however that we have appointed an internal candidate, Denise Hardwick, to the role. Denise has worked in the Transport Team for the past three and a half years and has extensive experience and knowledge that she can bring to the role to ensure that there is a smooth transition for the new arrangements. 

 Refer a Friend Bonus   

To help with recruiting, for a limited time, we are offering £500 to colleagues, people we support and families who successfully refer a friend to us and become a Driver or Passenger Assistant. If you know someone who would be an excellent fit for these roles, call our Recruitment Coordinator, Laura Turner on 07753 454376 or contact our HR Team via HR.Team@surreychoices.com 

We have attached to this letter important information that you will need to know in preparation for the changes to your transport from Monday 4 September 2023.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the manager of your service. Alternatively, you can contact me via my details below. 

Kind regards  

Jerry Ratcliff  

Chief Operating Officer  Surrey Choices 

Email: jerry.ratcliff@surreychoices.com   

In-House Transport Questions and Answers   

The bus is very late picking or dropping off my family member, or it has not arrived, who should I contact?

When there are delays to transport routes into services or for pickups the Transport Team will contact you in advance where possible to let you know of any lateness however if this has not happened, please call your local Hub. 

My family member has a planned holiday so will not be attending their service, who should I contact and when do they need to know by?

Please give us as much advance warning as possible for the absence by letting your local hub know. 

My family member is sick so will not be attending their service, who should I contact?

Please let the Transport Team know if someone is sick as soon as possible either by: 

• Emailing transport@surreychoices.com 

• Texting 077134 79426 
• Calling 077134 79426. The lines will be open from 7.30am – 6.30pm  

I have a family emergency and I will not be at home when my family member is due to arrive back on the transport, what shall I do and who should I contact?

Please contact the Local Hub that your family member attends to inform them of this and what the alternative arrangements are for them to be dropped off at. We would recommend that you have an alternative/back up place agreed in case this happens in the future.  

My family member needs to be dropped off somewhere different on an ad hoc basis, is this something Surrey Choices can help me with?

Whilst we will try to accommodate ad hoc requests, we are not funded to provide this so there may be an additional charge dependent on the specific circumstances. 

I have a concern or a complaint about the support my family member is being given on the transport, who do I contact and how do I let them know?

We welcome your views about our services. Whether there is something we are doing well, or if you have comments or suggestions about how we can do things better, we want to hear from you! 

There are lots of ways you can get in touch with us to tell us what you think: 

• Emailing us at transport@surreychoices.com 
• Talk to the Community Transport Manager – Denise Hardwick on 07542 153350  
• Text us on 07860 020130 
• Call our Mainline on 01483 806806 or email info@surreychoices.com  

We value everything you have to tell us about the services we provide because your comments help us to improve our services. So, whatever you have to say or tell us, we will: 

• listen to you 
• understand how to put things right if that is what is needed, and 
• keep you informed about our plans and progress. 

How long are the bus routes?

We try to minimise the length of time people are on the vehicle, but this is not always possible. However, we would not expect routes to be longer than 1 ¼ hours.  

Will there be a Passenger Assistant on every bus?

Not all routes have a Passenger Assistant. If you feel your family member should have support from a Passenger Assistant then you need to discuss this with the Community Transport Manager. Passenger Assistants are provided where people need support to be safe on their journey this could be because of medical conditions such as epilepsy that need rescue medication or need support due to their complex needs and challenging behaviour to stay safe.  

Surrey Choices Transport Contact Details  

To ensure that we can provide you with consistent support please continue to contact your Hub with any issues or changes to the route.  

The following numbers and email addresses can be used when you need further support:  

• Surrey Choices Mainline: info@surreychoices.com or 01483 806806  

Lines are open 8.00am – 4.00pm Monday – Friday (not including bank holidays) 

• Surrey Choices Transport Team: transport@surreychoices.com or 077134 79426 

Lines are open 7.30am – 6.30pm Monday – Friday (not including bank holidays) 

• Community Transport Manager, Denise Hardwick: denise.hardwick@surreychoices.com or 07542 153350 

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