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VRQ or Equivalent Qualification, Safeguarding and Plymouth Ambassador Course

Safeguarding course

New drivers must complete this before they are issued with their first licence. A refresher course must be taken every 5 years.

Due to Covid-19 this training is now being delivered via a virtual Zoom meeting.

Course aims

  • Understand what is meant by the term Safeguarding
  • Be able to recognise types of abuse and neglect, associated signs and indicators
  • Awareness of what human trafficking is
  • Awareness of what child exploitation is
  • Responsibilities and the laws that relate to and the taxi trade
  • Know, how and whom, you can report your concerns

We will email drivers to remind them that their 5 year refresher training is due, however, it remains the responsibility of the driver to ensure that any refresher training is completed within the 5 year period. Once an enquiry has been made we will offer you the next available dates and a choice of dates. You will then receive full instructions and the required passwords to enable you to join a Zoom meeting.

You will need to use a strong WiFi connection to ensure good connectivity for the duration of the course.  4G/3G, hot spots or portable WiFi connections may not be sufficient. Using a smart phone is acceptable, although we would recommend that you use a laptop or tablet where possible.

Any driver licence renewals following the 5 years refresher may not be renewed until the training has been completed. We recommend that you do not leave this until the last minute and contact us 3 months before.

Booking a course

The course is expected to last approximately 2 hours.

Any enquiries for courses need to be emailed to taxisafeguarding@plymouth.gov.uk.


Plymouth Ambassador Course

All existing drivers should have completed the training by 1 April 2019 and all new drivers must complete the training within the first 12 months of receiving their licence.

Any new driver or existing driver may not be able to renew their licences without the training until it has been completed.

Course objectives

  • Understand why customer service is so important
  • Describe the communication process and how to make your communication more effective
  • Demonstrate how to listen to your customers in a way that shows that you care about them and their needs
  • Understand the value of tourism for your business and the wider tourism economy
  • Gain a practical knowledge of Plymouth and the surrounding area
  • Know where to find more information about what's happening in Plymouth so that you can inform your customers

Due to Covid-19 this training is now being delivered via a virtual Zoom meeting.

We do try to contact drivers prior to the licences expiring, however, it remains the responsibility of the driver to ensure that the training is completed. Once an enquiry has been made we will offer you the next available dates for the training. You will then receive full instructions and the required passwords to enable you to join a Zoom meeting.

You will need to use a strong WiFi connection to ensure good connectivity for the duration of the course. 3G/4G, hot spots or portable WiFi connections may not be sufficient.  Using a smart phone is acceptable, although we would recommend that you use a laptop or tablet where possible.

The training

The training is delivered in two parts. Part 1 covers customer service/Covid-19 and Part 2 covers tourism. Each session lasts about 2 hours. You will need to attend both sessions to complete the training.

Book a course

Any enquiries for courses need to be emailed to taxi.licensing@plymouth.gov.uk.

Resources


VRQ or Equivalent Qualification

Within 12 months of receiving their first licence, all drivers will be required to complete the VRQ or equivalent qualification in ‘Transporting Passengers by Taxi and Private Hire’. Qualifications will only be accepted if they have been issued by a reputable training provider who can demonstrate full compliance with national training standards, specifications and quality assurance framework.

Plymouth City Council does not run the VRQ or equivalent training and it is up to the individual applicant to source their own training provision within the timescale set. Local course providers are:

People People Development

Level 2 Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver

Tel: 0330 223 1063
Email: hello@peoplepeopledevelopment.co.uk