Last Meeting C.P.D.  Certificates.

Following a vote taken at the last meeting all you guys who were there voted for the certificates not to be changed to a simpler form with no personal identification.

The vote was to change to the simpler version ...4

Two of those votes were mine as I had both hands up to avoid all the work

The vote to retain the existing version..........65(app)

Our certificates carry member specific information which means your certificate is special to you with its registration number ,ADI number and name so can not be copied. Along with the vote keep it the same, it was accepted that bookings must be made by 6.00pm the night before or no certificate.

Brother and sister jailed for conspiracy over theory tests

• Couple in ‘family business’
• Shopping list of tests covered
• Four candidates also in court

A brother and sister who ran their own ‘family business’ of arranging theory tests for candidates received prison sentences when they appeared at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday.

Vishal Aggarwal, aged 35, from West Drayton, London was sentenced to 30 months in prison and his sister Vanita Aggarwal, aged 33, also from West Drayton, received nine months imprisonment.

They appeared in the dock with four candidates who had paid them to arrange and take their theory tests for them.

Jatinder Kaur Randhawa, 44, from Ilford, Priya Patel, 29, from Wembley, and Shazia Syed, 30, from Slough were each given 120 hours community service and Sita Rani Dhadwal, 31, from Birmingham, received an 18-month supervision order.

All the defendants faced charges of conspiracy to defraud and the Aggarwals each faced another charge of possessing an identity document with intent to commit fraud.

Click  here to read the full press release on the DSA website.

Ideas.

If you have any ideas or subjects you wish to see discussed  or brought up then let me know and I can include it here. If you have an article you wish to consider for inclusion let the committee know and it will be looked at.

Coaching in Driver Development International Conference.

by Garry Clowes

I attended this conference on July the 30^th at the University of East London.

A variety of delegates attended including driving school representative’s delegates from Norway, Poland, Estonia, Emirates and Belgium along with a number of County Councils.

The conference was modular with two keynote speakers in the each session followed by a variety of workshops.  The scope of the workshops included coaching with learner drivers, coaching with ADIs, coaching for fleet drivers, using e learning in driver development, coaching in safety critical environments, HGV drivers and coaching.

The first keynote speaker was Sir John Whitmore who talked about the rigidity found in most of the teaching methods within the driver training industry.  As an example he used pull push steering giving a convincing argument as to why this does not need to be taught as standard, he suggested that drivers will develop a style of steering for themselves and so long as it is safe will work better for that individual.

The second speaker of the morning was Trevor Wedge Chief Driving Examiner DSA; Trevor’s presentation was refreshing to hear.  It was refreshing to hear that the DSA wish to take forward coaching methods and encourage instructors to use them, this does not take away from the tried and tested methods but does add another tool our  teaching armoury, a tool that when used with the right pupil will see that person learn and retain the information much quicker.
He  certain, and I am sure he is correct, that a number of instructors already use coaching to some degree or another but are maybe not aware that it is coaching. Trevor Wedge really does want to see the industries methods improved and modernised which in turn will lead to safer drivers on our roads.

I attended the workshop presented by Sue McCormack on coaching with learner drivers in which she outlined various ways of using this technique.

The afternoon’s presentations started with Doctor Jonathan Passmore who is conducting various scientific studies into the overall best method(s) of teaching within the driver training industry.  He explained that as an industry there had been no real scientific studies conducted to give a concrete outcome of best method(s).  To that end he intends to set up to control groups of pupils one using coaching, one using the current method and one using a combination of both.  From these results he will obtain a better understanding of what works best.  I therefore took the opportunity for ADIRSO to become involved and we have an appointment with Dr Passmore in September to explore how ADIRSO can assist with this research.

The second speaker was Doctor Greg Bartl from the Institute alles-fueherschein in Austria.  His presentation focused on the HERMES and MERIT reports commissioned by the EU to try and get a uniform method across the EU.  He explained that at present the Commission is only issuing recommendations and not directives so it will be up to those within the industry to take these on and improve the driver training across the EU.

 I attended the afternoon workshop given by Ian Edwards from e Driving Solutions.  Members may remember Ian gave a presentation to ADIRSO last year along with his colleague Mr. Dave Parkin.  E Driving Solutions have developed since they presented to us at ADIRSO and are continually improving their web site to assist with learner driver development and to also improve the skills of those who have been driving for a while.

I thought the day worthwhile and know it is the way forward, the way towards making or roads safer and drivers more aware of their own responsibilities’ when out on the road.  For me the big positive was the representation from other countries and County Councils in Great Britain who by their attendance are showing that they are taking this seriously and are actively looking at ways and methods to make driving safer.

Whilst I am encouraged by all of this I am also aware that it’s only trimming the tree to make things look better.  I believe that we as an industry and the DSA need to take a good hard look at the tree and look to improve with stringent requirements’ and tests to become an ADI or driver trainer.  I believe that we also need to tighten up on check tests and other checks within the industry and not be afraid to remove someone’s right to teach because they are not good enough.

Before I close I would just like to remind you that forthcoming meetings at ADIRSO will include a visit and update from our friends at E Driving Solutions and a visit from Trevor Wedge Chief driving examiner.

You may also like to know that ADIRSO is in discussion with like minded groups with a view to providing training workshops in various elements of our industry.

Garry Clowes

Chairperson ADIRSO

Are You a Member of Your Local Association and if not Why not?

I (Don H.)was recently at a meeting of a new group in Kent called SELKent ADIs, that ADIRSO is forming links with. It was their third meeting and the committee there are working really hard to get things going.

They have brought in good speakers for their first; it was the local RSO and DSA local area manager. Their second meeting saw Andy Rice of the DSA F.I.T. team arrive and last month eDriving Solutions. They have gone from zero to 40 people attending these meetings in six months, it shows there is a need for groups like these and it must exist all over the country.

During the old comfort break we all wandered outside for some fresh air as it was such a hot evening and I reckon they would have had more if not for the temperature that night. One of the topics of conversation was that some of the attendees had come for miles (10 plus) to be there and see the presentation. These guys had nowhere more local to go too, due to the fact the groups near them had given up and died a death, probably apathy. One chap said he knew of two in his area that had given up the ghost over the last few years.

I know from years of being on the committee of ADIRSO in North London how hard it is and how much effort is needed to put these evenings on and all these committee members do this in their own time for free. At ADIRSO we regularly have 65-70, more for special evenings, our members are hungry to hear the latest or learn something new. These committees just want to put something back, to pass on information or to help others improve. Some are concerned about the way things are going and try to get involved and make changes others get roped into it by friends already on these committees.

Yes I know in some cases there are complete armpits who want their own way, but their hearts are in the right place made of gold even if their brains are composed sometimes of lead. The best way and only way to change things is from within not stand outside and complain, join and vote for change. I am sick and tired of hearing instructors moaning and whining about their lot in the waiting rooms at test centres, nobody listens, nobody cares, we have all heard them and what do they do about it, sweet nothing. Empty vessels make most noise as they say. I go onto different forums like UKDIC and others appearing on facebook where I can see a wealth of knowledge and experience, people who are passionate about their subject and bursting with enthusiasm, willing to argue about any point of teaching or about coaching, to stir coffee clockwise or anti clockwise, I do hope you all take this wonderful energy to your local associations, you would be priceless assets to them and if not why not?

The life of the average instructor is a pretty lonely one, often re-cycling the same conversation hour after hour and these groups give us a chance to get together every couple of months, meet like minded people, exchange ideas and learn something new.  So far these last 12 months I have heard Nigel Harries and Andy Rice DSA, Ian Edwards who was a UK rep on the EU HERMES project, road safety officers from Lewisham and Tfl, I’ve seen presentations on CPC and Health & Safety. This list goes on.

All these are terrific, helpful people willing to bend over backwards to share their knowledge and experience and they enjoy answering questions but I am willing to bet they would not want to give up their time to come to give a private presentation in my living room. I don’t suppose my poor wife would be too keen either come to that.

The point I am trying to make is these associations are there for us to use and make the most of. They can, and do bring interesting people to meet us and give us all the chance to get answers to the questions we want to ask. They do not even get upset or embarrassed when a silly question is asked or even smile, they just answer.

I was talking to Ian Edwards of eDriving Solutions about the coaching issue and said that ADIs like myself have developed over the years pretty much along the coaching lines that are being put forward now, but we have done so at the expense of our pupils by learning as we went and correcting our mistakes. Whilst it is brilliant that we can keep up to date with the new thinking and take on board these changes I feel there is a huge need to get the new ideas to new instructors and trainees so they can hit the ground running, he made an interesting point.  

“Life is about change so the most important part for me is that all ADIs see this, as the new ADIs of today will be the old ADIs of tomorrow and expecting change is an important part of the development process. ...............– you understand no matter how good you are, to get better you need new ideas and this leads to change.  Today, coaching and e-learning are leading the change, in a few years... what is next?”  

With all the different groups we have we can do this but they need our help, we have to take part. Please support your local group. We need them more than they need us.

Cheers.

Don Harris.

Some of you may know I have been giving the teaching tyres presentation outside of ADIRSO. Following a presentation I gave to a group in Kent I have been emailed by the chairman Adrian Lewis that one of their members , following the presentation stopped a fitter puttting an "out of date " tyre onto his car. If it were not for the presentation put together by our friend Ray Webb at Woddgreen Dtc he would never have known and is delighted he made the time to go to the meeting.