Sara Davenport, customer service manager at Morebus.
Published: June 28, 2023 | Updated: 27th June 2023
Morebus is looking to improve the experience of every one of its customers.
It’s for that reason that the company enlisted the help of Dorset charity Autism Unlimited, who provide a training course to help people in Understanding Autism.
And after seeing great success with the initial trainees, Morebus – a subsidiary of The Go-Ahead Group which operates more than 850 buses across the South West – is now planning on rolling out the course to all of its staff.
Customer service manager Sara Davenport said: “We began the Autism Unlimited training with our customer service team and, speaking personally, it completely opened my eyes to some of the challenges autistic people face on a daily basis.
“Through the training’s thought-provoking video interviews with autistic people, our customer advisers were able to learn more about what autism is and how the autistic community experience the world.
“We learned about the importance of giving succinct information on our services, journeys and timescales, about being as specific as possible, and also following up with customers.
“Staff members said the course was very well put together, and it was an extremely positive experience.”
Autism Unlimited have already helped Lighthouse Poole, Gallaghers Insurance, and the local NHS with their activity-based training.
The charity’s Understanding Autism course is complemented by four others designed and built alongside its autistic community – Recruiting Autistic Talent, Workplace Adjustments, Signalong Foundation, and Signalong Essential Vocabulary.
Claire Causley, training manager at Autism Unlimited, added: “‘Everyday’ things for a neuro-typical person, such as buying a bus pass or making a travel inquiry at a bus station, can be potentially very stressful and even something an autistic person may avoid altogether.
“Our training is bespoke and tailored, sharing real, lived experiences relevant to the industry. We find this adaptive approach is thought-provoking and embeds the learning quicker.
“Everyone has a right to work, meet friends and enjoy life, and travel is a vital part of this.
“In seeking out our specialist training, inclusive companies like Morebus will hear directly from autistic people how they can make the improvements needed to ensure they are included.”
