Road Safety GB’s success in improving the quality of training on offer for road safety professionals, and standardising the delivery of road safety initiatives, has been recognised with a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award (PMIRSA).
The PMIRSA was made to Road Safety GB for the formation of its training arm, the Academy, and subsequent development of a suite of training courses including the Road Safety Practitioner Foundation Course.
The PMIRSA was presented at the 2016 National Road Safety Conference in Bristol on 15 November, by John Plowman from the awards’ judging panel. It was accepted by Alan Kennedy, Road Safety GB business and operations manager, and Ian Edwards who developed the Road Safety Practitioner Foundation Course and other courses on behalf of the Academy.
The Academy was established in 2013 following a merger between Road Safety GB and IRSO (Institute of Road Safety Officers).
The Academy’s remit is to standardise the delivery of road safety initiatives and interventions across the profession, and ensure that interventions are well researched and evaluated.
As part of this remit, the Academy has developed a suite of courses that are offered at venues across the country, to enhance skills and provide CPD for road safety practitioners.
The first of these courses – the Road Safety Practitioner Foundation Course – has been universally acclaimed as the most significant advance in training for the road safety profession in the last 10 years. The Foundation Course is now accredited by City and Guilds.
In developing the Foundation Course, Road Safety GB also developed a role descriptor for the position of ‘road safety practitioner’ and a standards document which outlines the skills and abilities a road safety practitioner needs in order to fulfil their role.
Presenting the award, John Plowman said: “I am delighted to present this prestigious award to Road Safety GB.
“The formation of the Academy was an inspired decision, ensuring as it does that in future road safety initiatives will be well researched and evaluated.
“Such initiatives will therefore have a much better chance of success. I should add that anything that enhances the professionalism of those engaged in the important job of saving lives on our roads deserves our congratulations.”
Alan Kennedy, Road Safety GB business and operations manager, said: “Naturally we are delighted to receive this award which recognises the progress that has been made in upskilling road safety practitioners since the formation of the Academy three years ago.
“The Foundation Course offers road safety practitioners a taste of the concepts that relate to educational theory, behavioural change models and techniques and approaches to evaluation.
“Since the initial pilot was delivered in 2014, more than 450 road safety professionals have attended the course which is now fully self-funding and one of a number of courses delivered by the Academy.”
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