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).
• Operators and their staff in the districts of South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, Oxford City, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell (as required).

Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) Transport badge

Drivers and passenger assistants applying for an Oxfordshire County Council Transport Badge must have a badging application form submitted online by the service provider who is applying on their behalf.

When your application has been accepted you will receive a link to pay for a DBS appointment if required  and safeguard training

District Council Taxi and Operator licences

South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell

Drivers and operators applying for a licence with the above licencing authorities must have started the application process with the relevant district council before booking on to the training. 

• Link to apply for training

Oxford City Council

Drivers and operators applying for a licence with the above licencing authority must have booked and completed training before starting the licence application process with Oxford City Council. 

Link to apply for training

Course costs

Safeguarding and Disability Awareness Training costs £55 per booking.

All trainees must pay this charge for training up-front.

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

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 end-point test will last at least three hours.

Staff are able to assist trainees with reading test questions if required.

Trainees will not receive their results on the day of the course. We aim to let trainees know if they have passed or failed the training course within three working days. This is done by email only.

Test certificates will only be sent to the email address used when the training was booked. If a company email address is used when 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, operators, 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), which complements the training course. 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 a maximum of 45 minutes to complete this; there will be no retake available at this time. It is, therefore, paramount that applicants have been equipped with the training manual to read prior to attending a training course.

CPD accreditation

The Safeguard training content of this course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to Continuing Professional Development principles. 

How to get help

If an attendee is nervous or has any concerns or additional requirements, email Transport.Vetting@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 or Operator Licencing application within Oxfordshire.

Bookings

• All bookings must be made as per the instructions on this page.
• Bookings containing incomplete or incorrect information will not be actioned.

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 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.

• 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.
• Applicants who fail the training course will be able to apply and pay for another Safeguarding and Disability Awareness Training session and resit the 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.
• Late arrivals will not be admitted into the course.

Cancellations

• Cancellations must be emailed to us at Transport.Vetting@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 will be 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 transport.vetting@oxfordshire.gov.uk 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 a valid reason is provided.