Agenda item

The Principal Licensing Officer, Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), presented the report to Members. The purpose of the report was for members to consider if a consultation should be undertaken in regard to requiring mandatory safeguarding refresher training to be undertaken as part of the licence renewal process by all drivers.

Officers clarified that should the process ultimately be adopted, the training needed to be completed prior to the renewal of the driver’s licence. It was further clarified that linking the training refresher to the renewal process would be the simplest solution, causing the least disruption to drivers.

In 2021 the council’s hackney carriage and private hire licencing policies underwent a review, this was in response to the publication of guidance from the Department for Transport under section 177 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017. In response to the review, the council introduced a competency certificate which included a compulsory element on safeguarding.

The competency certificate was only a requirement for new drivers; therefore, any existing licence holders were not required to refresh/renew this training once they had been approved and any new drivers only needed to complete the course during the application process.

Officers proposed that as safeguarding the general public was an important part of a driver’s role, and the ever-changing nature of safeguarding, especially those vulnerable in society, the training needed to be refreshed periodically to take account of new areas of concern in safeguarding.

Officers asked that Members resolved whether to instruct Officers to undertake a consultation process, the results of which would be brought back before members at the March Licencing Committee meeting. Should Members adopt the policy, Officers proposed a commencement date of 1^st July 2025 to give drivers opportunity to complete the training prior to renewing their licence.

The following was clarified by Officers after questions from Members

• That the training would be undertaken by Worcestershire County Council (WCC), who currently do the competency certificate for new drivers.
• The cost was expected to be approximately £20 but the figure could not be finalised as RBC would not be the training provider, however, Wyre Forest Council who were also under WRS, had rolled out the training at a cost of £20 to drivers.
• That’s the consultation would be send to the Redditch Taxi Association (RTA), but other avenues of disseminating the consultation would include emailing, physical media and social media outlets.
• Other authorities, including large businesses, also required drivers to undertake refresher safeguarding training as part of their licencing process, therefore, Officers did not believe that it would have a big impact on drivers wishing to be licenced elsewhere.
• There had been safeguarding training in 2018 which was free to drivers, however, this was free due to there being funding available from the Police and Crime Commissioner at the time. As the funding was no longer available, the expense needed to be met by drivers.

Members were in support of the consultation, and wished to get the view of drivers on the matter to make an informed decision in March. However, some additional information was requested from Officers, to be brought to the same Committee meeting, on if equivalent refresher training was in place in surrounding authorities and the cost to drivers.

Upon being put to a vote it was

RESOLVED that

Officers were to undertake a consultation with relevant stakeholders and the public on whether to introduce a requirement that takes effect from 1 July 2025, that all those who hold a licence issued by the Council authorising them to drive hackney carriage and / or private hire vehicles have to undertake mandatory safeguarding awareness training before renewing their licences.