Continuing Professional Development CPD for Driving Instructors

1
Continuing Professional DevelopmentCPD for
Driving Instructors

• Frequently askedQuestions and Answers

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What is CPD?

• CPD is continuing professional development and it
  is about
• formal and informal development, based on an
  individuals
• understanding of the benefits to them
• In a nutshell, it is a commitment to being
• Professional
• Keeping up to date
• Continually seeking to improve

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What benefits will I receive from undertaking CPD?

• CPD can help you to keep up to date with
• Modern vehicle technology
• Teaching techniques
• Best business practice
• CPD can also help you to gain new skills and
  develop existing
• skills such as driving, customer service etc.
• CPD can enhance job satisfaction and overall
  performance

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Should I start doing CPD?

• Yes
• DSA is encouraging driver trainers to commence
  CPD as soon as
• possible so that individuals and their customers
  can begin to
• benefit from their learning
• We want to encourage everyone to start recording
  their CPD

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What is the driver trainer competence framework?

• It is a modern framework that sets out what a
  driving
• instructor needs to know, understand and be able
  to
• demonstrate in order to be regarded as a modern
  driver trainer
• A copy of the original framework is on the DSA
  web-site under
• the Instructor / CPD / Research link

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How soon will DSA recognise my CPD?

• As part of Phase 1, from 2009 a search tool will
  be launched on
• the DSA website called Find Your Nearest
• This will allow the public to search for a
  driving instructor by
• postcode
• Instructors who have registered a commitment to
  undertake at
• least 1 day (7 hours) of CPD a year and who
  comply with the
• Code of Practice will have their details
  highlighted to enable
• the public to make an informed choice

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How will I inform DSA that I have undertaken CPD?

• Following the launch of Phase1(2009), driving
  instructors will need to register on-line on the
  DSA website that they are undertaking CPD and
  complying with the Code of Practice
• You can record your commitment to CPD now via
  IRDT online services
• Please see the guidance document CPD Log In on
  our website

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How many hours of CPD is required?

• We recommend a minimum of 7 hours (1 day) a year

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What kind of CPD can I do?

• At this stage your activity should link with the
  competencies as
• outlined in the Driver Trainer Competence
  Framework
• e.g. lesson planning, driving, health safety,
  business skills etc.
• This could be delivered through meetings,
  seminars, training
• courses, desk top research, e-learning etc.

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What CPD information do I need to provide to DSA?

• When the DSA web-tool site has been developed you
  will only
• need to register that you are committed to the
  minimum
• amount of 1 day / 7 hours CPD per year and comply
  with the
• Code of Practice
• You should keep a record / evidence of the CPD
  that you have
• undertaken. DSA and external stakeholders are
  currently
• looking at how CPD will be recorded in the future

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Is this first phase only for ADIs?

• Yes
• However we would encourage all driver trainers to
• undertake CPD and experience the potential
  benefits
• In time we plan to roll the CPD initiative out
  across the other
• driver trainer categories e.g. lorries, buses,
  motorcycles etc.

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Will CPD carried out now be recognised in the
future?

• Provided that the activity links to the driver
  trainer
• competence framework it will be recognised and it
  must be
• understood that CPD is an ongoing activity
• What will or will not count in terms of a
  structured scheme will
• be subject to
• a recommendation from the CPD steering group and
  wider public consultation

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Who will provide CPD?

• It is likely that some of the same organisations
  that currently
• provide CPD, will continue to offer CPD in the
  future
• We will encourage providers to focus on the range
  of topics
• covered within the driver trainer competence
  framework

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Can ADIs undertake CPD with different CPD
providers?

• Yes
• We anticipate ADIs will choose providers to suit
  their own
• individual development plan

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Who is going to pay for the training?

• CPD can be cost free!
• Where CPD has a cost, individuals will be
  required to pay for
• their own development
• We are currently researching funding
  opportunities

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Why have I got to pay for CPD?

• CPD is personal and although there may be
  opportunities for
• funding, it is anticipated that individuals will
  benefit from their
• development investment
• Costs for employed ADIs may differ from the
  self-employed
• Updating expertise with CPD is generally tax
  deductible but always check with your tax office
  or accountant if you are unsure.

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Is there any financial assistance available for
CPD?

• Currently there are limited opportunities for
  funding
• These tend to be localised within certain
  time-frames and
• linked to National Occupational Standards
• We are currently researching local, national and
  European
• sources of funding

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Does membership of an organisation reduce CPD
costs?

• This will be for the organisations to decide
• We would encourage all ADIs to join a local or a
  national
• association. Many will be able to provide or
  guide you towards
• suitable CPD activities

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Will part-time ADIs have to do the same amount of
CPD as full-time ADIs?

• Yes

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What is the role of the CPD Steering group?

• The CPD steering and working groups are made up
  of
• representatives from the driver training
  profession, other
• stakeholders and DSA
• The role of the steering group is to review the
  research carried
• out by the working group and to make
  recommendations for a
• structured scheme (envisaged 2009)
• This work will then form a proposal for wider
  consultation