Safeguarding and disability awareness training for drivers of vulnerable passengers

Who is this training for?

• All licenced drivers within Oxfordshire.
• Drivers applying for new licences in the districts of South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, Oxford City, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell.
• Drivers applying for renewal licences in the districts of South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, Oxford City, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell.
• Taxi Drivers, Coach Drivers and Passenger Assistants applying for a new Oxfordshire County Council Transport badge (school badge).
• Taxi Drivers, Coach Drivers and Passenger Assistants applying for a renewal Oxfordshire County Council Transport badge (school badge).

Transport badge

Drivers and passenger assistants applying for an Oxfordshire County Council Transport Badge must have a badging application form submitted and initiated by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Vetting Team before booking training.

When your application has been accepted and initiated, you will receive your Unique Reference Number (URN) and instructions about booking and paying for training. Please wait to receive this email before attempting to book training.

Taxi licence

Drivers applying for a taxi licence must have started the application process with the relevant district council before booking on to the training.

Booking process

Oxfordshire County Council drivers and passenger assistants

County Council applicants need to email the following details to transport.training@oxfordshire.gov.uk to book training:

• Applicant name
• Date of birth
• Name of the service provider
• Applicant or service provider email address – this will be the email address used for all correspondence
• Applicant contact telephone number

District council drivers

District council applicants need to email transport.training@oxfordshire.gov.uk with the following details to book training:

• Driver name
• Date of birth
• Licensing authority
• Taxi licence number – (If you are a new driver, please make this clear)
• Email address – this will be the email address used for all correspondence
• Home address
• Contact telephone number

Course costs

Safeguarding and Disability Awareness Training costs £55 per booking. 

All trainees must pay this charge for training up-front. You will receive a unique reference number (URN) and a link to the online payment system after you have provided the information mentioned above.

We will confirm training bookings by email only after a successful payment has been made. 

The cost of the course is subject to change. We will advertise any future cost changes with a minimum of four weeks’ notice.

No-shows, late attendees and late cancellations

Charges are applicable for all no-shows, late attendees and late cancellations. More details are in our terms and conditions (see below).

About the training

Trainees will be sent clear instructions once their training booking is confirmed; failure to follow these instructions fully will result in the applicant being asked to leave the session.

The combined Safeguarding and Disability Awareness Training and subsequent test will last a minimum of three hours.

Staff will be able to assist trainees with the test, which includes the reading of test questions.

Trainees will not receive their results on the day of the course. Pass certificates will be emailed after the course. Anyone who does not pass will be also be notified using the email address that was provided with the booking request.

Test certificates will only be sent to the email address provided at the time of booking training. If using a company email address for bookings, it is the responsibility of the service provider to ensure all information is passed on to the applicant, otherwise, the process will be delayed.

Training content and adaptations

• The course will include Safeguarding and Disability Awareness Training for coach drivers, taxi drivers and passenger assistants.
• The course will be split into two halves (Disability Awareness Training and Safeguard Training) and will be followed by a compulsory multiple-choice test.
• Attendees must read and understand the Safeguard and disability training manual (pdf format, 511Kb). It complements the training course and the trainers will be available for any questions you may have relating to the manual throughout the course.
• Trainees will sit one test and have 45 minutes maximum to complete; there will be no retake available at this time. It is therefore paramount that providers ensure trainees have been equipped with the training manual to read prior to attending a training course.

How to get help

If an attendee is nervous or has any concerns or additional requirements, email transport.training@oxfordshire.gov.uk ahead of the relevant course date to let the training team know.

Terms and conditions

The following terms and conditions apply to those seeking to book Safeguard and Disability Awareness training courses as part of their application for an Oxfordshire County Council Transport Badge or as part of their Taxi Licencing application within Oxfordshire.

Bookings

• All bookings must be made as per the instructions on this page.

Attendance at training

• The attendee must attend the course specified within the booking confirmation they receive.
• An attendee must attend for the full duration of the whole training course.
• Attendees will be issued with a training certificate if they successfully complete the whole course and pass the end-point test.
• Attendees not booked on to a course with a booking confirmation will be turned away and unable to attend.

Failing the course

If a trainee does not score the required pass mark on the endpoint test, they will fail the course and will not be issued with a training certificate and one of the following will apply:

• If a trainee is attending as part of a District Council licence application, then the council you are applying with will be informed that they have not passed the test. They will be able to reapply to attend the course again.
• If a trainee is attending as part of an application for a DBS badge or a District Council licence they will be able to apply and pay for another Safeguarding and Disability Awareness Training session and resit the test.

Please note that as of 22 August 2022 we will no longer be enforcing a three-month ban on obtaining a DBS badge for those that do not pass the Safeguarding training test.

Non-attendance

• If the attendee does not attend the course within five minutes of the confirmed date and start time of the booking, this will be considered a non-attendance and no refund will be provided.

Cancellations

• Cancellations must be emailed to us at transport.training@oxfordshire.gov.uk a minimum of seven days before the confirmed date and time of the training session.
• For cancellations made seven days or more before the confirmed date and time of the training session, the training team will offer an alternative training date before a refund is considered.
• Cancellations made less than seven days prior to the start date and time of the relevant training course will be considered as a late cancellation and the booking will be cancelled and no refund provided.

Refund requests

• Refunds will not be offered for late cancellations, non-attendance, or late arrivals; see above for details.
• If you wish to appeal a charge you must provide details of why you wish to appeal the charge and email us within 28 days of the payment.

These appeals will be either approved or not by the management within the Oxfordshire County Council Supported Transport Service and you will be informed of the decision once it has been made via email. We will, in exceptional circumstances, waive the charge for cancellations if provided with a valid reason.