Road Safety GB has unveiled plans to develop and deliver a training course to help Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) develop their skills and meet the requirements of the new grading structure that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) introduced on 7 April 2014.
The DVSA has introduced the simpler three-grade Standards Check for instructors in order to help learners and their parents identify the best instructors. All qualified driving instructors are checked at least once every four years to ensure they continue to meet the required standards. ‘A’ grade (85% or over) indicates an overall high standard of instruction. ‘B’ grade (60% or over) indicates a sufficient level of competence, while ‘Fail’ (less than 60%) indicates an unsatisfactory performance.
Road Safety GB is working in partnership with eDriving Solutions to develop a ‘client centred learning (CCL)’ course for the UK’s 40,000 ADIs which will be managed locally by Road Safety GB members, who will use ADIs to deliver the course. Many Road Safety GB members have ADIs on staff, or work closely with ADIs. Road Safety GB will ensure the course standards are maintained across the country.
Ian Edwards from eDriving Solutions, said: “The DVSA has made it clear that it intends to move to what it describes as a ‘client-centred learning (CCL)’ approach to driver training.
“This is causing a great deal of concern among ADIs as many instructors are unsure what CCL is and how it relates to driver education. In particular, CCL is being confused with coaching approaches which form some elements of a CCL approach, but by no means all.
“As such, demand is expected to very high among ADIs for the course we are developing.”
Alan Kennedy, Road Safety GB’s head of business development, said: “The course has been developed by eDriving Solutions and will be licenced to Road Safety GB. eDriving Solutions will also provide a two-day ‘train the trainer’ course for Road Safety GB members who wish to provide the course in their local area.
“The course is designed to ensure that the standard of driving instruction is raised in accordance with Road Safety GB’s charitable aim to improving road safety.
“It also offers the opportunity for Road Safety GB members to generate valuable income by delivering the course in their local area.”
The course was successfully piloted earlier this year in partnership with Buckinghamshire’s road safety team, who will handle evaluation of the course. ADIs who attended the pilot course gave it excellent reviews.
Road safety teams requiring more information or wishing to register interest in becoming a course provider should contact Alan Kennedy by email.
ADIs wanting more information or wishing to register interest in attending a course in their local area should click here.
Having piloted the scheme in Bucks over 3 days with 45 ADIs,the feedback has been very positive. We conducted an evaluation and I will get the findings released after the Easter holidays. Talking with the delegates during and after the event, they commented that the course was again something that would benefit all areas of their training and represented value for money. It was also a good opportunity to network with other local ADIs as it can be an isolating job. Unfortunately due to budget cuts we (Road Safety) are no longer able to offer these courses for free, but we try to ensure that all courses are relevant to help ADIs continually develop – and this course certainly came up trumps.
June Howlett, Transport for Bucks
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Hi Paul.
These are excellent courses and give an very good overview of the schemes you mention. The new course look to develop these concepts still further. I will give a call to discuss over the next few days.
Ian Edwards
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Can I mention that there are a number of schemes across the UK that provide free coaching to ADIs to assist them with CCL. In Yorkshire there is Learnsafe Drivesafe, Graduate in Sussex and Engage in Northants, Cheshire and Merseyside. ADIs get the added benefit of support from their local road safety officers and police force and ADIs feel part of a bigger team to reduce KSIs amoung the novice driver group. Perhaps RSGB could link in with the relevant road safety teams to see how it can assist these schemes. ‘Just Talk’ as we like to say in our police force!
Paul Mountford
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Excellent news.
As with many interventions in road safety the highway authority and partners have to ask what it is that they can offer that may not otherwise happen. Professional development opportunities for people working in, or voluntarily contributing to, road safety is one of those areas. ADIs will find a range of development opportunities that they can access, and by a range of suppliers, and Devon’s 23 years of ADI support and development through the Devon Travel Academy demonstrates that there is enormous benefit in in public bodies being part of that professional support chain.
All credit to RSGB then for spotting the need and investing in getting suitable training opportunities in place. We network with hundreds of ADIs, often building up years of mutual support, and our commitment to offering CPD opportunities has been a central feature of that. I’d be delighted to see if this course can be hosted at the Devon Travel Academy for the benefit of our south west colleagues.
Jeremy Phillips
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It’s good that there are ‘improvement schemes’ for ADIs. However, from what I often observe on the roads there are many ADIs who, when driving their own vehicles, display a standard of driving which is below the basic driving test standard. And as one former police driving instructor put it, ‘the standard driving test is the lowest level of safety which is acceptable on the roads.;’ It’s no good teaching people skills, which are essentially life skills, if you don’t have the best of standards yourself. ADIs may be regularly checked, but as I understand it that is only for their teaching skills, not their driving standards. It should be do as I do, not just do as I teach.
Nigel ALBRIGHT
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When we set up our ADI panel 12 years ago we were able to provide the ADIs with a new skill set, which included helping them through the process of obtaining the DSA Fleet ticket. Both worlds have something to offer to the other, our ADI’s tell us that their learner work has been enhanced by the experience and we have adopted much of their practice in the delivery of our schemes of work. As with every intervention, this will be as good as the person delivering it.
Iain Temperton – Norfolk
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Apologies to readers – the news item should have made it clear that Road Safety GB members will be using ADIs to deliver the course. Many Road Safety GB members have ADIs on staff, or work closely with ADIs. Road Safety GB’s role will be to ensure the course standards will be maintained across the country.
The news item has been amended to include this important point.
Ian Edwards, eDriving Solutions
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I strongly agree with Gavin, only fully qualified experienced ADIs will truly understand the needs of clients learning to drive. I appreciate that some Road Safety Officers may have an ADI background with coaching skills. However, I am concerned that DVSA are planning to replace the small independent ADI trainers in favour of large institutions.
Bill Harkess
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I’d recommend the BTEC 4, tri-coaching course for ADI’s. Just completed mine, what a brilliant course it is.
Jon Meddings
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Not sure if road safety should be delivering this course. This course has got to be delivered by an ADI.
Gavin Brownlie Edinburgh
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