WE’VE MOBILISED!
Driving lessons for people with disabilities are in dramatic short supply!
Members of the Assessment team from the Queen Elizabeth Foundation for Disabled have been conducting briefing sessions across the South of England to raise awareness of a critical shortage of driving instructors to provide lessons for those with adjustments or other mobility needs.. There are many reasons for this including lack of awareness of the need, limited specialist training opportunities, lack of specialist equipment, and of course the overwhelming competing demand for learner lessons that has since Covid, swamped the industry.
The Drive Hart “MOBILISE NOW” community programme is a direct response to this call for action following the presentation by QEF team when we were advised that driving lessons for the disabled are in dramatic short supply in Salisbury; with the less than 3 Instructors registered for providing driving lessons for those people who are disabled in the South of England. This lack of provision is leading to disappointment for many individuals who want to get mobile, but simply cannot get lessons.. Drive Hart initiated the “Mobilise Now” programme in March 24 and how now put in place steps to respond/mobilise recourse’s and help address this shortfall by:
1. Actively support and drive the increase in training provision for ADIs (through its Instructor Training Programme).
Action to Date: 2 Full Associated 1 Day QEF training – further planned.
2. Work closely with QEF in increasing overall disabled driving lesson provision in Salisbury and Wiltshire.
Plan of action initiated “Mobilise Now”
3. Support QEF Assessors by resourcing follow up lessons by A Graded ADIs
Referral work has just started!
These actions will not only give Drive Hart Associated Instructors a better understanding of how they can support the disabled, and ensure they are prepared and equipped to offer driving lessons to those who need them (following a QEF assessment). Resources put into helping QEF with follow-up lessons will help those with mobility needs get the lesson support they need before reassessments take place and we will use the knowledge gained from working closely with QEF Assessors to inform the “MOBILIZE NOW” Programme.
Great first day training with QEF Assessors – Thank You!
We are pleased to say that the first two members of our Drive Hart Association attended a familiarisation day at QEF with Jane Filipe (QEF Assessor) in March 24 which has led to some key developments in our training of Auto Instructors who wish to support our aim to improve provision. Great thank you to the team at QEF pictured below with Drive Hart Director Sarah Hart and P/Driving instructor Yvonne Piper – the first of many to go through this process and improve access to driving for individuals who require support or adaptations and lessons so they can drive.
If you want to know more about the work of QEF please check out their website which can be found on: https://www.qef.org.uk/
