ADUK Archive

Kimosabe wrote:There's big business to be made from offering four hour long 'courses' in place of three points and a £100 fine. Maybe the IAM are considering this market with a view to expanding their interests.

Not just considering! For example, the IAM is currently advertising for people to run courses for the rehabilitation of drink- and drug-influenced drivers:

IAM Inform weekly newsletter wrote:
IAM DRA looking for trainers

IAM Driver Retraining Academy (DRA) has vacancies for quality trainers to join the expanding team to deliver drink drive rehabilitation courses. If you have experience delivering client-centred courses in the driver training industry, or work within the counselling profession or police, IAM DRA would like to hear from you. Teaching qualifications or experience in alcohol and drug abuse are required. There are vacancies throughout the UK.

David

@Sussex2 and David, thank you.

"open to all", as the title of this thread is named, pretty much covers it.

I wasn't aware of the IAM's push to involve itself in such matters. I can see why they might think it a good idea but in my experience, i've grown very cautious of them and their preferred and rather narrow 'because a book says so' approach, at observer level. It is remiss of me to comment much further about this, without knowing what the content of their idea is but I still have my suspicions.

Having said all that, I'd place the potential of an IAM '... awareness' course above anything Safer Roads Partnerships courses offer. With HTBABD as evidence, consider what might happen if the IAM formalise branded £85 four hour '... awareness' courses. Hmmm... Not convinced it'll be as good as it could be but still bound to be a more useful technique-based option to the SRP stats courses and an ideal opportunity to really get involved in cross pollinating with their SfL courses.

I wish them luck but as I say, they're fairly irrelevant to me.

Kimosabe:

The content of the driver education courses (speed awareness, driver alertness, drink drive, what's driving you, driving for change) is defined nationally by NDORS http://www.driver-improvement.co.uk/ - the IAM's 'Driver Retraining' have to follow this.

As one of the trainers for the Driver Alertness course I have to say I think they are brilliant! Seriously, almost without exception, the feedback we get is really good - many turn up grumpy but by the end of the day most go away having leant something and consider the day well spent.

Kimosabe wrote:i've grown very cautious of them and their preferred and rather narrow 'because a book says so' approach, at observer level.

Interestingly enough, I heard that criticism from the examiner when I was first training as an observer many years ago. Candidates were turning up for test having been told what to do but they didn't understand why they were supposed to do it that way.

Kimosabe wrote:I've grown very cautious of [the IAM's] preferred and rather narrow 'because a book says so' approach, at observer level.

Quite - and that's why there are changes afoot. Part of the remit of the National Training Teams will be to assist regional examiners in moving groups, observers, and examiners on a bit, and deepening their engagement with and understanding of the task.

It won't happen overnight, but keep your ear to the ground.

David