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A Presentation on Behalf of the Driving

Instructors Democratic Union By Barry Kenward

BA (Hons) Driver Education

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Areas for Discussion1. What is DIDU & Why was it formed?

2. What has DIDU achieved?

3. Check Tests

4. CPD – an Update

5. CRB Checks

6. The Way Forward

7. Question Time

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What is DIDU & Why was it What is DIDU & Why was it formed?formed?

Didu was established in 2004 (as Didu was established in 2004 (as a direct result of the imposition a direct result of the imposition of HPT), by a small group of of HPT), by a small group of colleagues, to represent the colleagues, to represent the interests of other ADI’s across interests of other ADI’s across the country, whereas other the country, whereas other organisations were seen to organisations were seen to represent their shareholders.represent their shareholders.

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DIDU is the only ADI Body that ballots its members on all important issues from which Policy is establishedDIDU is a Non-Profit making organisation, run by an executive committee, None of whom are paid a wage for their work/commitment.Executive Committee are Full Time ADI’s

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DIDU provides:Advanced warning on the forum of meetings that their Committee attend, giving our members the opportunity of having an input;

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Minutes of meetings attended by the EC are posted on the members forum very soon after the event, providing the most up to date information for members to evaluate;The Fullest of information, instead of hiding behind the Chatham House Rules, thus deflecting how a member may have voted on any issue;

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What has DIDU Achieved?

Currently, DIDU is the THIRD largest organisation within the Driver Training Profession – with YOUR help, we intend building to become the second;HPT – DIDU helped to achieve the removal of 3 strikes and your out, allowing as many attempts as was needed;

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DIDU helped to reduce the cost of sitting the HPT examination from £50 to £21.50;

With Help from T&G - DIDU attained CONSULTATIVE STATUS in the shortest time ever.

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Other Issues DIDU is currently involved with:

Actively campaigning AGAINST the general publication of ADI Grades; as it is a Separatist system, that is sensitive and confidential, which will lose ADI’s business;Gathering momentum on the ADI Star Rating system that is being proposed in the latest consultation document on how to grade an ADI to the Public. DIDU is AGAINST this proposal!!

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Didu is also not in favour of the DSA Log Book being made COMPULSORY – many of us have better systems – we DO accept there needs to be something but not what is on offer from DSA;Part 2 re-takes have been muted many times over the past few years, DIDU is Opposed to this as we have already qualified, at great expense.

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Additional Benefits afforded to DIDU Members.

There is a very lively ONLINE Hi-Tech Forum to which colleagues contribute on a daily basis, sharing experiences, triumphs, stories and other related incidents.

Accessible via www.didu.org.uk – forum details on web page

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For those less nimble with the fingers on the Key Board, there is a REAL TIME chat room facility called SKYPE available to exchange ideas, difficulties or just to say hello! ALL of the EC are on Skype. (Accessible via individual e-mail addresses)Assistance with ANY Profession related situations, including problems with DSA tests, (ADI or Pupil).

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What has DIDU done about Check Tests?

DIDU has been the ONLY organisation that has actively fought against the imposition of TWO in the Back on Health and Safety grounds;DIDU was the only organisation that got role play check test’s changed, we can tell them what subject we want to do; as against the DE telling us

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DIDU is the ONLY organisation who has been ACTIVELY campaigning to be able to Appeal against the decision of the DE or SEADI (DTAM) after a Check Test;

DIDU forced the DSA to change the way it consulted after a meeting with the Transport Minister on 22nd March 2006

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Other Areas of Assistance Provided by DIDU have been:Resolved a dispute between a member and his franchisor;

Negotiated free repairs with a car dealer for 2 members;

Stopped a member being taken off the register at the Transport Tribunal – others currently ongoing – WITH A NUMBER OF OTHERS REPRESENTED ALSO.

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Provided legal assistance to several members via the T&G;

Persuaded DSA to allow a PDI - who had run out of time for his Part 3 due to DSA cancelling his appointment on three occasions – to take his part 3 – ADI was subsequently SUCCESSFULL;Helped members’ pupils to win free retests following disputed decisions.

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Continued Professional Development CPD)

CPD is being seen as a Pot of Gold by Some Associations;

DIDU is a NO FRILLS organisation: Providing help and assistance where it is needed;

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DIDU was involved with CPD trials for a number of months at the outset – In due course it is our intention to provide courses that will benefit our members at affordable prices.

CPD will come on line in due course and yes this will mean additional expense – but YOU need to choose what you want –

RE-QUALIFICATION or CPD?

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CPD Basic RequirementsMinimum 28 hours over FOUR YEARS;

To be undertaken at 7 hours each year;Can NOT be crammed into the last few months of the fourth year;

Two Elements – Prescriptive & Elective;Each Element will have an EQUAL amount of time spent on it, i.e. 14 hours Minimum;There are lists of the Competency

framework to which the CPD trials were being run.

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CPD ListsPrescriptive:

Driving Skills/Abilities & Knowledge;

Teaching, Instruction Delivery;

Monitoring & Assessment.

= Core Competencies.

Strategy & Planning.

DIDU will work to have CT’s REMOVED as a separate entity.

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Elective:Communications Skills;

Personal Characteristics;Business Practice;Business Development;*Others.

*You can Choose what else you would like to do for your Elective sections – but they should be competency based.

(Examples on next slide).

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DIDU Does NOT Support any Course which would result in

ADI removal from the Register.Some Additional CPD courses could take the following format:

Driving Fleet CourseCardington Diamond AdvancedDriver Improvement

TeachingFleet CoachingCity & Guilds 7307 DegreeDiploma

Assessment Fleet AssessmentDL 25 course Degree Driver Improvement

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CRB CHECKS.CAPITA from Sheffield, - Dealing

with Checks for PDI’s.

TMG - Media Group from Nottingham - Dealing with Checks for current ADI’S and also with future re-registrations.

ADI re-registration will require a fee to be paid every 4 years.

NEW PDI’s - The fee is incorporated into their initial application

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TWO Levels of CRB Check

Standard DisclosureThis is primarily available to anyone involved in working with children or vulnerable adults, as well as certain other occupations and entry into professions as specified in the Exceptions Order to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. Standard Disclosures show current and spent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer. If the post involves working with children or vulnerable adults.

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Enhanced DisclosureThis is the highest level of check available to anyone involved in regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children or vulnerable adults. It is also available in certain licensing situations and judicial appointments. Enhanced Disclosures contain the same information as the Standard Disclosure but with the addition of any relevant and proportionate information held by the local police forces.

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The CRB recognises that the Standard and Enhanced Disclosure information can be extremely sensitive and personal, therefore it has published a Code of Practice and employers’ guidance for recipients of Disclosures to ensure they are handled fairly and used properly.

A copy of the Standard or Enhanced Disclosure will be sent out to the applicant as well as the Registered Body.

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You may be aware that “Driving Instructor” has now been added to the Notifiable Occupations Scheme for England and Wales. Which means that the Registrar will be notified whenever a PDI or ADI is convicted of a recordable crime by the courts/police system.

DSA are working with the Scottish Executive and have submitted a similar application for Scotland. DIDU are still to be advised of the outcome of that application.

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DIDU requested clarification WHY we will need to have continued updates (AT OUR EXPENSE) when our PROFESSION is now a notifiable occupation?The Registrar advised us that the DSA could not rely on the COURTS SYSTEMS to actually notify them (the DSA) of any RECORDABLE offences that we might commit.

We thought that to be a bit Rich!! DIDU is also pushing for examiners to

be CRB checked.

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The Way forwardThe Way forward – DIDU magazine – Published periodically for members –

contains articles and information of value to members – particularly if they are not on

computer.Currently there is a very big shake up of HOW novice drivers will be taught

in the future.In March 2007 – DIDU attended a meeting with a company who the DSA have

commissioned to develop a system that will REVAMP the whole driver education

syllabus – start to finish – which may well end up as an NVQ system for Learner

drivers; still a work in progress.

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DIDU will be watching this VERY closely – as it could very well end up with a requalification through CPD –

something we will OPPOSE if it results in an attempt to remove colleagues

from the register.If/when CPD actually does come in – DIDU will continue to seek the

Check Test Removal as it is amply covered within what is the Prescriptive sections of the

proposed CPD agenda.

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CPD Update from Meeting 22nd October 2008.

Working Group seeking a relaxation on WHEN CPD should be completed – against not all in last year of four year cycle; A CPD DVD is to be produced by DSA the content of which is not finalised;ADI’s can (and have) registered an interest in VOLUNTARY CPD by going to the DSA IRDT – home page – tick appropriate box for CPD information.

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CPD Update from Meeting 22nd October 2008.

If doing VOLUNTARY CPD – Keep accurate records – Certificates where possible; ADI Funding – There isn’t any to speak of – Courses around the country (England) were being funded as a one off by Colleges with County Council backing.In Wales/Scotland, Individual Learning accounts (ILA’s) can provide up to £500 PA for over 16 year olds.

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CPD Update from Meeting 22nd October 2008.

Courses have been over subscribed around the UK – feed back will be discussed in due course;Future Meetings: Jan 2009 – Working Group to Discuss feedback from Steering Group;April 2009 - Steering Group – discuss New Report from Working Group;Consultation Document on CPD late 2009 – if meetings go without incident??

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CPD Update from Meeting 22nd October 2008.

April/May 2010 – Potential for Meeting to finalise launch of VOLUNTARY CPD;2011/2012 – Possible launch of MANDATORY CPD???

TWO Options for Monitoring ADI CPD -ADI takes CPD portfolio to CT;ADI provides portfolio at re-registration

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TWO Options for Monitoring ADI CPD – Cont’d

Problems envisaged:Time between Check Tests – 2 – 9 years??Training for DTAM’s to check it’s the right kind of CPD – DSA funding/Increase of fees to accommodate this – Correct number of staff to undertake tasks;Potential for only 5% - 10% checks to be undertaken – CPD Working Group to investigate funding for monitoring?

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CPD and Check TestingIf/When CPD becomes MANDATORY – the CT system will change – Some STANDARDS checking needed – but it could become part of the CPD package;There is as big a training change for the DSA as there is for ADI’s because of the proposed CPD introduction;Internal Review – DSA could make registrations 5 years instead of 4 – but ADI’s could be required to make annual fee payments.

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Star Rating – Consultation later in the Year

DSA ADAMANT that a star rating WILL be introduced – Supported by MSA; DIDU is looking to every ADI to support it’s stance of rejecting this separatist move and discard it to the bin for ever;Word of mouth/recommendations have been good enough for many ADI’s for decades – do you want the Agency dictating how YOU will advertise your skills?

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Increases were recently announced in an Explanatory Memorandum under the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2007, and the Motor Cars (Driving Instruction) (Amendment) Regulations 2007, covered by this Explanatory Memorandum amend the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/2864) and the Motor Cars (Driving Instruction) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1902) respectively.

Increases in Test Fees and Licenses

This legislation allows increases now WITHOUT needing to go back to HMG to ask

for permission to increase prices.

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THANK YOU

QUESTIONS?