A Day in the Life of a Community Transport Co-ordinator – Elizabeth Scourfield – CTWeek26

As part of the Community Transport (CT) Association’s CT Week 26, we will be shining a light on the people who help to keep CT running. From organising journeys and supporting volunteers to working with local organisations and tackling transport challenges, there’s a lot more happening than most people realise.

To start the week, we hear from Elizabeth Scourfield, who is the Community Transport Co-ordinator at Bloomfield House Community Transport:

“I am Elizabeth, often referred to as Margaret, but that’s another story. I work at Bloomfield House Community Centre as a Duty Officer three days a week and, more recently, have stood up as Community Transport Co-ordinator for the other two days. I can’t say I was attracted to the role, but rather fell into it; I was like the wing person to the (former) manager, on the sidelines dipping in; an anti Beecham type – first cut the trains then the buses, but hey along came Community Transport, fast forward and enter Margaret, oh! I mean Elizabeth.

“Firstly, let’s get one thing clear: this is a team effort, a typical day is when it all runs smoothly – thankfully this is the norm; they (passengers) are all picked-up and “all returned safely” (BHJ states every Friday), at the end of another safe dial-a-ride (DaR) week. All the drivers are conscious of the responsible role they play as community minibus drivers – they are in charge of what can be some of the most vulnerable people (passengers) in the community and they have a duty of care for their safety. I don’t solve the problems. All I can do is facilitate from a distance, they (the drivers) solve ‘it’, whatever ‘it’ happens to be.

“All drivers have their own skillset which I rely upon wholeheartedly; logistical strengths to manage pickups, knowing every place and how long it will take for each part of the journey. Brad, driver and engineer, is taking the lead in risk assessing journey(s) outcomes for (inevitable) scenarios of the passengers (needs) – this is ongoing and at the stage of being formalised. Pete’s medical knowledge is invaluable in highlighting safeguarding issues – some passengers are vulnerable and the drivers are key to their safe journeys. Lesley is so customer-oriented, she is at one with the passengers on the DaR journey – she’s on that journey too.

“The drivers are constantly in touch with each other – they have been doing this for years. I have inherited ‘something that works’. Community transport is not a clinical driving job; community transport is about enhancing people’s health, wellbeing and social welfare – it is about adding value.”