Last week social media seemed to be filled with responses to the DVSA’s blog regards “Safe guarding and protecting pupils”, which even had a certain motoring journalist adding their two pennies worth.
DVSA steps up safeguards to protect learner drivers
Last Monday, 19th February, I attended my first meeting of the Association of Driving Instructors Loughborough and NW Leicester and I am so grateful that I did, for the guest speaker for the evening was none other than, Andy Rice, DVSA Head of Counter-Fraud and Investigations.
Having listened to Andy’s talk on the role of him and his team is and hearing some of the shocking cases they have investigated in the past, I tend to agree with Jacqui Turland’s blog, in that it is designed to inform, not scare, parents and pupils of how we as ADIs should conduct ourselves and also how to raise issues of concern.
In the 3rd paragraph of the post, Jacqui is quoted with saying how the majority of ADIs do offer high standard of tuition and customer service.
“There are currently around 39,000 driving instructors in Great Britain and the majority of those offer a high standard of tuition and pride themselves on delivering excellent customer service.”
My view is that, yes the blog and its intent, could have been better worded and that timing should have been given for guidance on the response from ADIs and perhaps even input from national associations, however the DVSA do have a duty of care, as do all ADIs, to parents and pupils, so why should they not be informed of what the DVSA and its teams are doing to help implement safeguarding for those learning to drive.
After all they are not mushrooms and should not be kept in the dark.
ADI NETWORK 