Driving Instructors teaching over 70's are needed for CB Films

CB Films are a London-based documentary production company, the result of a merger between Cicada and Bellwether films, with over 20 years of award-winning factual production experience behind us.

We are looking to speak to people who are in their 70s and above who are learning to drive, and also drivers in the same age group who have been advised to do a refresher course in order to maintain their license, or whom are undertaking extra training of their own choice.

Our project wants to explore how important it is for older drivers to be behind the wheel, the challenges they face and what it means for those who may be less mobile. Working closely with mobility charities, we’re very aware of how driving within this age group can be a lifeline and a route to independence.

If you are an instructor who works closely with people of the above description, we would love to hear from you (and them!).

We are at early developmental stages with interest from major broadcasters.

At this stage we are just looking to speak to people about their experiences on camera – this is not for broadcast and there would be no obligation to take part in any filming at a later date.

If you think you work with someone who would be interested in sharing their experience with us, please contact Rowan as soon as possible:

rowan@cbfilms.tv
02072664646

New Transport Agency Name Announced

New Announcement from Mark Magee

The new agency will be called the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which reflects its responsibilities for setting, testing and enforcing driver and vehicle standards in Great Britain.
There will be a gradual introduction of the new agency name ahead of the formal launch of the new agency in April 2014, with no change to the level or quality of services during the transition period.

You can read the full announcement here.

DSA and VOSA will be incorporated within the new agency and the new branding will reflect this until their services and trading funds are brought together over the next financial year.

We want to keep costs to a minimum, so the new branding will be phased in gradually. ADIs’ and PDIs’ badges do not need to be replaced. They must still be displayed in your windscreen as usual at all times while you are operating as a driving instructor.

Any other DSA documents will still be valid until further notice.

For the time being, the official title of ADIs is still ‘Driving Standards Agency Approved Driving Instructor’. The Department for Transport has launched a consultation on the changes that need to be made to legislation to reflect the new name. We’ll let you know when this will change.

You can still access all of DSA’s online services in the usual way from GOV.UK.

Mark

Mark Magee  |  Registrar & Director

Driving Standards Agency  |  Regulation, Standards and Development

Standards Check Professional Development Day, a sell-out success!

We had a fantastic Professional Development Day (PDD) at the stunning Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire on 18th November, as we delved deeper into the forthcoming Standards Check and helped delegates better prepare for delivering on the National Standards in their every day work. The Check itself then becomes more of a mere snapshot of your usual high performance, than a nail-biting cross examination of your competence.

Alastair Peoples, Mark Magee
being question by Mike Frisby, DIA

We also received the latest industry updates delivered by expert speakers from the DSA, Alastair Peoples, new CEO of DSA & VOSA and Mark Magee, ADI Registrar. Mr Peoples also set out his vision for the DSA and plans for future development. Visit our Youtube channel here to see more of these speeches and highlights from the day. Driving Instructors were also able to voice their concerns and questions on the latest Standards Check and find out more about the criteria for examiner assessments.

The day consisted of five top interactive workshops that guided driving instructors through the different criteria of the DSA Standards Check Form SC1, ensuring all delegates felt confident and prepared, especially with the ability to ask questions when needed.

We also trialled out a new 'In-car Coaching' workshop, thanks to Hitachi for providing the cars, which received great feedback as it enabled people to experience peer assessments, free pointers on their teaching approach and an insight into client centred learning. These sessions were led by renowned driver coaching experts, including Ian Edwards and Louise Walsh that run the DIA Certificate in Coaching.

Louise Walsh reviews how the in-car coaching worked on the day: "I thought that it was a success. I was skeptical if I'm honest but with the freedom to be a little bit individual depending on the needs of the group in the car was good. The feedback was encouraging and it made my day when one ADI whispered in my ear "best session of the day, thank you". I was surprised how little understanding many had and the lack of ability to make even a very basic session 'client centred'... Yet many thought they were!"

We also held a new workshop from Goodyear Tyres that greatly impressed our delegates, as they produced an interactive workshop demonstrating tyre performance during different weather conditions. This workshop, entitled ‘Winter Tyres; Dispelling the Myths,’ aimed to banish the misconceptions around Winter tyres and provide delegates with a deeper knowledge on what a Winter tyre is and why the UK weather makes them more necessary than you might think.

Commenting on the day, Goodyear brand manager Michelle Fisher said: " We gained some valuable insights from working with driving instructors during these workshops. They provided us with great feedback and many suggestions as to how we can improve education around the need for Winter tyres with a broader audience. The commitment from driving instructors to continuously learn and educate themselves in order to educate others really stood out . We look forward to working with delegates in the future on our shared aim to improve education for drivers and road safety in the UK."

Specsavers eye tests

Champagne Prize from
Face for Business

We would also like to take the opportunity to thank sponsors Specsavers and Face for Business for producing engaging exhibition stands at our event. Heaps of ADI's took part in Specsavers eye test and had an 100% pass rate, which shocked and delighted Suzanne Randall who took the tests. Face for Business provided free trials for their telephone service and a bottle of champagne!

If you missed out; Plans will be announced soon so keep and eye out and to guarantee yourself a place add yourself to our reserve list by emailing lyndanazer@driving.org. We will offer early bird tickets at £69.00 to Members and £79.00 to Non-members before they go on sale.

November's Member of the Month

Ricky receiving £25 Voucher

It was lovely seeing Ricky Cox again as he popped in to receive his £25 voucher for being our November Member of the Month.

Why he was nominated

Ricky got in touch with the DIA due to a number of issues he was experiencing with his franchise and spoke with Olivia Baldock who dealt with his case. After offering him advice and support about what he could do next, he left his franchise and wrote to Watchdog and the Trading Standards.

Ricky learnt the hard way that you need to double check T & C's before signing up with a franchise but he recently joined the AA and is now really happy. So we're delighted with his result and that he shared his story with an article for our Driving Instructor Magazine. When we caught up with Ricky to tell him the good news we found out that he used to be a hypnotist!... read his full interview here

Ricky told us that "I can use this opportunity to say thank you for the help and support provided from the DIA team for sharing this story". Ricky was delighted to receive a £25 gift voucher from the DIA and will spend it on a DIAmond Advanced Test. Congratulations and look out for who's next for December's Member of the month.

Do you know a fellow DIA member that deserves some recognition? Then please send nominations to feedback@driving.org and your reasons why.

Ricky also featured in our Driving Instructor Magazine issue 11

Latest Announcement on ADI Standards Check on Standard Operating Procedure

We are pleased to announce that the new Standard Operating Procedure for the Standards Check due in April 2014, is now available to download from GOV.UK.

This documentation should provide you with further information as to how the Standards Check will operate in practice and is the new procedure that DSA examiners are currently being trained in to deliver the new assessment. To ensure you understand it fully, download  the SC1 form and the reflective log from the links embedded in the main document.

The new document will replace the current ADI 1 Standard Operating Procedure and is an essential read for all ADIs to help prepare you to meet the new standards and the criteria for the Standards Check itself. 

A copy of the DSA National Driver and Rider Training Standards, the standards on which you will be assessed, should also be read in conjunction with this documentation and these can be obtained through the GOV.UK website also.

Free Roadshows this Week in Maidstone, Portsmouth and Exeter

Are you a Driving Instructor down south? We have some fantastic roadshows this week as we are in Maidstone on the 11th, Portsmouth 14th and Exeter on the 19th of November.

This Autumns topic is all about managing money and providing top tips and techniques to help manage the financial aspects of a driver training business.

This will also provide the opportunity for instructors to get involved in relevant debates, discussions and network with likeminded fellow professionals.

So if you need to sort out your taxes and want to learn some handy tips on how to save on your tax return then this short and snappy presentation from our highly qualified accountant is a must. This will also give you the chance to meet the super friendly and dashing Mike Frisby, DIAmond Chief Examiner from the DIA, so grab your free place now by going to driving.org or calling 020 8686 8010

Places still available at Exeter, 14 November!

We also have a great roadshow offer for our Tax Service:
Receive a full year off your membership if you take up our Tax Service before the 30 November


Service includes:
- A fixed fee to complete your tax return
- A free tax review
- Year round phone and email helpdesk

Don't leave it too late to complete your Tax Return and do it with our expert advice to ensure an efficient and economical service.

November Newsletter

Click here to view our latest November Newsletter. It's packed full of industry news, great promotions and new features such as 'Member of the Month'. 

Carly Brookfield, Head of Marketing, DIA, Shares all on New DSA CEO, Alastair Peoples.

Alastair Peoples

Having worked with a lot of new CEOs, across a variety of both public and private sector organisations over my 20+ years in business, I was probably surprisingly more cynical than those other Association heads in the room last Wednesday (when we met Mr Peoples, our new regulatory Chief at the DSA) who've had their reasons to doubt the DSA's leadership over the many years that they've worked in the driver training profession. Whilst I don't have the history of disappointment my colleagues have experienced through successive regime and regulator changes in the industry over the years, I do have the experience as a Communications professional (especially one who's prepped many a new CEO or Minister going into a room with a new set of stakeholders or employees for the first time) to spot spin with no real substance, promises made to improve relationships with no real intent to follow through. 

However, I was pleasantly surprised. Mr Peoples began by establishing his credentials in the driver training sector, having been an Examiner at one time - unlike his predecessor he does have some useful on the ground experience of the services he is now responsible, and the customers (both the trainer and the pupil) he is keen to improve DSA services for. He also gave us an honest and open appraisal of the challenges faced with VoSA, the agency he has managed for the last 7 years and which he now has the mammoth task of merging with DSA. I'm impressed with the strategic approach he took to tackle those issues at VoSA and the hard decisions he had to take to steer an agency with severe financial issues (a deficit of £47 million) and vast operational challenges back to health. Setting VoSA an ambitious, but not unrealistic, five year development plan, in year 4 he'd brought the agency back to financial health (by streamlining operations, making key efficiency savings by using outsourcing and working closely with private sector operators) and vastly improved the operations of the agency, increasing its ability to deliver. 

Annual DSA Meeting with National Driver Instructors Associations  

He was keen to impress upon us, that although he will now embark upon designing a similar five year business plan for the development and improvement of DSA, the agency does not have the same level of problems he faced at VoSA. And in many respects he acknowledged the agency operates well. However, he was keen to have a continuing and open dialogue with key stakeholders like the National Associations and their membership as to what could be improved. Even cynical moi felt he was genuine in that desire to build a better relationship with driver trainers in order to both develop the profession, and what it offers to its customer, as well developing what the DSA offers to both the trainer and the pupil. 

Whilst he listened intently to the challenges and issues we as associations felt were posed by the agency to our professional members (and took away 'to-do's' for himself, Registrar Mark Magee and Chief Examiner Lesley Young, to focus on), he didn't shy away from turning some of those challenges back to us, and from setting us new ones. I'm personally a big fan of that approach, and my colleagues at the other National Associations (bless them for their patience) did have to put up with me as Chair for most of the AM, throwing challenges back to ourselves as to how we could help resolve problems in the profession, rather than looking for someone else to equally blame and make responsible for the solutions. We did, however, collectively come up with more positive and proactive ideas by working this way, than previous meetings I've attended in the industry where some would rather sit, complain and blame than empower themselves to find and present solutions, focus and progress. 

As he builds his business plan, Mr Peoples asked us to put our heads together and come up with one big idea or initiative we felt would really improve DSA's provision to either trainers or our pupils. Now, that's not to say they're not interested in progressing a number of key initiatives we clearly need to them to focus on, or resolving a number of key issues we already know and constantly point out need more work. The focus here though is to seize an opportunity whereby we can really make a big impact or a sea change. 

The National Associations will meet again over the next few months, and continue to get our heads together regularly in the long run, indeed we proposed the creation of a new National Associations Steering Group at this meeting and my colleagues at the other associations willingly embraced the opportunity to work together more regularly and more effectively. The 'one big idea' will be firmly on our agenda at these meetings, and at DIA generally. In fact DIA was already thinking along the same lines, with the drafting of a report in response to the forthcoming Green Paper having been a key focus over the last few months, in which we detail the views of over 5000 driver and rider trainers on how we should develop learning to drive and propose solutions as to how we believe we can create positive change (we will release that report to members, key policy makers like DfT/DSA, the media and other stakeholders shortly, watch this space). 

We'll keep you appraised of our thoughts on this, but in the meantime I'd you to think about the big, impactful changes which could be made to either improve the way DSA works, or how we work as a profession (i.e. it could be the way we train and qualify as driver/rider trainers, or the way learning to drive is taught, examined and monitored on the whole). My challenge to you is much the same as Mr People's to us - think big, and communicate what big change you want to see happen, mindful of making a good business case for the change. We can all dream big but the biggest challenge is making the big dreams work in reality. Email me at carlybrookfield@driving.org with your thoughts and ideas. 

We look forward to hearing more on Mr People's vision for the DSA and driver training profession at our Professional Development Day in the next few weeks. Those attending, start thinking of your big ideas and questions for him now. If you haven't managed to get a ticket (as sadly due to the popularity of this event we have now sold out, though similar workshop events are planned for early next year) we're looking to film his and Mark Magee's session and will publish that to the website after the event but please also send me your ideas and questions in advance. We'll cover more of his presentation at the event, and of our first meeting with him, in the December issue of Driving Instructor.

New Twitter Support Service from the DSA

We've been asked to share the following information from Mark Magee, Registrar

"From Monday 4 November, DSA’s customer support team will start trialling an alert service on Twitter for test slots cancelled due to bad weather. The trial will cover driving test centres in the Sector 5 area (North East England and North Cumbria) using the Twitter account name @DSA_HelpMe.

Those test centres involved in the trial will be promoting the service from a poster on the DSA noticeboard and by word of mouth from examiners.

The service will work as follows:

·         local examiners will identify test slots cancelled due to bad weather

·         the Twitter team will issue a tweet of the test centre(s) and slot time(s) affected, asking ADIs and candidates to keep checking the Twitter feed for further updates

·         the tweet will include a hashtag of the relevant driving test centre, for example, #LongBentonDTC

Should the trial prove successful, the team will start to roll it out nationwide. It’s expected to last a month, however it may need to be extended should the team not get the chance to test the procedure (due to milder weather than expected).

We would encourage ADIs to follow the @DSA_HelpMe Twitter account and would appreciate your support in advertising this.

Thank you

Mark

Mark Magee  |  Registrar & Director

Driving Standards Agency  |  Regulation, Standards and Development

Great Feedback for First Aid Course in October

Ian Rose, who runs the course, is a Health Care Professions Council registered Paramedic and a director of the Essential Training Organization Ltd. Ian gives us a little snippet of how the two day course runs and we got some top feedback too.

"The DIAmond / ETO roadside first aid course started at 9.00am on Tuesday and all the candidates introduced themselves to each other. We then started the course discussing communication with patients; we then worked our way through scene management and hazardous chemicals. We had a break for coffee and tea and carried on with patient response levels and unconscious casualty assessment. This was a largely practical part of the course and contained much mirth when the candidates practiced the skills they were learning. 

After a very enjoyable lunch the candidates continued with wounds and bleeding which again was 
practical and there were some very interesting uses of wound dressings and triangular bandages. 
This finished the first day. 

On the second morning we looked at fractures, amputations crush injuries and chest injuries, which 
took all morning. We then combined the candidates with a group of trainee ambulance technicians 
to practice crash helmet removal and immobilisation in a car. The DIA candidates and the trainee 
ambulance crews interacted extremely well and developed a mutual respect.

Resuscitation and medical emergencies completed the training and all seven candidates had an 
enjoyable two days during which they learnt many valuable life saving skills."

Feedback:

Kevan Chippindall-Higgin told us that "As a first aid instructor trainer, I was very impressed with the course because it was given by an experienced paramedic, which makes all the difference. I would strongly recommend it to anybody, not just instructors."

Sue Vernon also told us that "The trainer’s expertise and experience as a professional paramedic shone through, even though the presentation was relaxed and chatty. Backing up the information with real life stories from his work made the theory come ‘alive’ and helped us to remember important points. I’ll probably never forget that one has to check whether there was a pillion rider in any motorcycle accident - come on the course to find out why!"

To sign up for our next course email us on training@driving.org or call 0208 686 8010. Next dates are the 16th & 17th of January 2014.