Driver CPC uploading explained

Posted on

Ever wandered what ‘invalid’ or ‘processing’ means when you check your driver cpc training hours? I get many enquiries regarding issues surrounding driver CPC uploading. There is limited information provided for drivers (and trainers, to a degree) regarding this process. JAUPT do provide a Guide to Recording Driver CPC Periodic Training. However, unless you are a registered training centre, it is unlikely you will find this information easily. Hence this post! Also, as the guide is geared toward the person who will be carrying out the uploads, it therefore contains information not relevant to the driver, which I have filtered out for you below.

As the training status meanings are hot topic, I have listed them first.

What does a driver’s status mean?

Valid – Training is valid and counts towards the drivers Driver CPC entitlement

Invalid – The driver has completed more than 35 hours training in one five year cycle

Cancelled – This training has been cancelled and does not count towards the drivers Driver CPC

entitlement. Training is usually cancelled either because the driver didn’t have the correct entitlement to

take training, or because the training provider has requested the cancellation

Processing – This training has not been validated for one of the following reasons:

The driver didn’t have the correct Driver CPC entitlement to take periodic training – DVSA identify drivers who do not have the correct level of entitlement and inform them hours have not been added to their record. If the driver is unable to supply evidence of Driver CPC entitlement DVSA will cancel this training after a minimum period of 1 month. It is worth noting that incorrectly uploaded driver hours are monitored and frequent re-occurrences will trigger further investigation form the DVSA
The driver has recently completed the initial qualification tests prior to training – this training can be validated once the test passes are shown on our system
DVSA are currently unable to view the driver’s licence entitlements. Therefore DVSA sometimes have to contact the DVLA in order to view the driver’s licence entitlements to assess the validity of the training. If the driver is currently undergoing medical preview with the DVLA, DVSA are often unable to view vocational licence entitlement. This means DVSA are unable to assess the validity of their training until the medical review is complete.
Sometimes there maybe a an issue with the centres payment method and the course is awaiting payment
The training has been incorrectly uploaded against a GB counterpart – the driver holds a non-UK licence with a GB counterpart. Any training uploaded against a GB counterpart can’t be validated as there is no licence entitlement attached to a counterpart

What identity documents should drivers present before I conduct periodic training?

A driver must present one of the following:

a photocard driving licence
a valid passport
a digital tachograph card

a driver qualification card (DQC)

As above, you should make drivers aware that if they do not have the relevant vocational entitlement periodic training cannot contribute towards issue of a DQC.

A driver may also attend training if they present a non-UK driving licence issued by an EU Member State or one of the following countries: Gibraltar, Guernsey, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Can drivers take more than one periodic training course in a single day?

DVSA would not recommend undertaking two courses of periodic training in one day; we consider this
an excessive amount of time for an individual to spend in training and be able to effectively retain the information. Periodic training means regular, ongoing training undertaken consistently throughout a driver’s professional career as part of a programme of continuing professional development. DVSA believe drivers will gain more from periodic training if they design a pre-planned learning programme with a definite objective in mind, ie to improve my professionalism over the next 5 year cycle.

Can somebody attend for periodic training if they don’t drive professionally and don’t have Driver CPC entitlement?

As the training provider it is up to you whether to accept attendees who don’t have Driver CPC entitlement e.g. administrative staff. If individuals attend periodic training and do not have Driver CPC entitlement you must ensure that their training will not be uploaded to the Driver CPC R&E system. You should also make them aware that their periodic training will not count towards issue of a DQC or issue them with a certificate of attendance.

Can somebody attend periodic training if they are currently suspended or disqualified from driving?

A driver can still attend for training which can be uploaded should the driver’s categories ultimately be reinstated, though suspended/disqualified drivers cannot undertake on-road periodic training. The driver should be advised that the licence entitlement may not be shown on our system so the training will not be validated unless the categories are reinstated at a later date. If the vocational categories are not reinstated with their original start dates this training may never be validated. You should make this clear to the driver before they undertake any periodic training.

What advice should be given to attendees?

Below is some advice that you may wish to provide to drivers attending periodic training if it is relevant to them:

A DQC is automatically issued to UK photocard licence holders as soon as 35 hours of periodic training have been uploaded to the driver’s record. This should be received within 20 days of completing the final training. If it is not received after this time the driver should contact the DVSA (GB licences) or DVA (NI licences).

A DQC can only be issued to the licence address currently held by DVLA at the time when it is triggered; it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that their address is up to date with the DVLA before all 35 hours of training are completed. If the DQC is sent to a previous licence address the driver will have to pay £25 for another card to be issued. If the non-receipt of a DQC is not reported to the DVSA/DVA within 3 months, the driver will need to pay £25 for another card to be issued, regardless of the circumstances.

If the driver holds a paper driving licence in order for a DQC to be issued they will need to exchange this for a photocard licence.

Periodic training should be uploaded to the driver’s records directly, by the training provider, within 5 working days. It is the driver’s responsibility to monitor their own hours on the Driver CPC Online Driver Enquiry (ODE) service at www.gov.uk/check-your-driver-cpc-periodic-training-hours. If the driver has already completed 35 hours of training within their current 5 year cycle any further training taken and uploaded is invalid. Northern Irish drivers are currently unable to use ODE so they should contact the DVA to check their recorded periodic training hours.

Periodic training expires after 5 years; if all 35 hours are not completed within 5 years of the earliest training date, those hours which fall out of the rolling five-year period will no longer count towards the issue of any subsequent DQC.

If the driver holds a non-UK driving licence and wishes to obtain a UK DQC they will need to either: Exchange to a UK driving licence, and ask you, as their training provider, to upload the training retrospectively Or, if they want to retain their foreign licence, they will need to apply for their DQC via a DQC1 application form on completion of 35 hours training.

If a driver presents for training with a GB driving licence and a non-UK DQC they should be advised to send their DQC to the DVSA for exchange.

If a driver presents for training with a NI driving licence and a non-UK DQC they
should be advised to send their DQC to the DVA for exchange, enabling the periodic training hours to be validated upon upload.

Online Driver Enquiry (ODE)

Periodic training centres should encourage drivers to register for the ODE service which can be

accessed on www.gov.uk/check-your-driver-cpc-periodic-training-hours

When a driver has accessed the ODE service to check how many periodic training hours they have accrued

they can generate a temporary password, valid for 21 days, to pass to a 3

rd party to allow access to their periodic training details.

The ODE facility enables drivers to check the amount of periodic training recorded for them. Drivers are

advised to check ODE after five working days of completing periodic training to ensure that it has been

correctly uploaded by their training provider.

This facility can only be used by drivers with a full British driving licence. A driver can only register to use this service when periodic training has been uploaded for them.

The first time a driver uses the system they must click on ‘Register (drivers only)’ which can be found on the bottom left of the screen. The driver will then need to enter their driving licence number, postcode and fill in the captcha code.

A message will then appear informing the driver that a password has been posted out to their address which they will receive within 10 days. The registration password letter will be dispatched to the address currently held by the DVLA.

Once the driver has a password they can select ‘Start now’ which will bring up the login screen. They will then be prompted to enter their driving licence number and password, and to fill in a code. This service is available 24 hours a day, every day.

If they have any problems using this service they can contact DVSA’s customer support team on 0300 200 1122. This line is open Monday to Friday 8.00am to 12.00pm.

Northern Ireland licence holders must contact the DVA to check their hours if they want written confirmation. ODE is not available to NI licence holders as the licensing authority (DVA) is not linked to this system.

Recording Driver CPC Periodic Training

To record a driver’s training hours on DVSA’s R&E system drivers must provide their driving licence number. Please note it remains the trainer’s responsibility to ensure that the driver genuinely holds the driving licence number presented on the day; each approved training body should have its own procedures in place to guarantee this.

You must upload the training records to the CPC R&E system within five working days of the course completion date; drivers cannot have training uploaded twice for the same date. The CPC R&E (Recording & Evidencing) system is the central training record database for UK driving licence holders and is managed by DVSA.

Training must be uploaded promptly and accurately to prevent any delay in the driver receiving their DQC. As all professional bus, coach and lorry drivers must carry their DQC with them at all times when they are working any delay can have a serious impact.

You must keep full, accurate records of all periodic training conducted for audit purposes. All information should be retained securely in line with the Data Protection Act 1998.

We consider it best practice for centres to regularly review uploads using the ‘View training centre history’ facility to ensure all drivers have been uploaded correctly.

You should not upload periodic training until the driver has completed the full course; if the driver had to leave early the upload would have to be cancelled after the event. Only those drivers who complete the course in its entirety can be uploaded

If you have any difficulties with the CPC R&E system, please contact the CPC R&E section at the DVSA.

Recording Periodic Training for Non-UK Licence Holders

When non-UK licence holders attend periodic training in the UK you are required to complete the ‘Non-UK Licence Upload Template’. This can be found on gov.uk. You must complete one template per course attended. This template should be e-mailed to eudrivertraining@dsa.gsi.gov.uk within five working days of the course completion date.

On receipt of the e-mail a member of staff will call you to take the upload fee via credit/debit card; normal upload fees apply. You must make sure you include a contact name, email address and preferred contact number, and ensure that your named contact has access to
all details of the card necessary for payment.

DVSA cannot take payment for these uploads via prefunded account and the training cannot be viewed using the online training centre history. You should maintain your own centre’s records of periodic training undertaken by non-UK driving licence holders in line with your normal procedures. These records will be subject to the usual audits.

On completion of 35 hours training the driver will need to apply for a DQC using a DQC1 application form if they want to retain their foreign licence. If they decide to exchange to a UK driving licence, they may contact you at a later date to upload this training retrospectively. You must contact the DVSA to claim back your original upload fee and report the late upload of the training to the CPC R&E system.

TMconsultant provide opportunities to deliver periodic driver CPC training. If you would like to learn more about how to become a driver cpc trainer/a member of the consortium or have any questions, please do just get in touch!

How to pass your JAUPT announced quality assurance visit

Posted on

So you’ve just received an email providing you with a few date options regarding a JAUPT announced quality assurance visit. As with all audits, unless you’re fully prepared you can put yourself under unnecessary stress, and I hasten to add for no reason. To help you pass your JAUPT announced quality assurance visit, I have put together a few pointers to make the whole process a more pleasurable one.

Background

JAUPT carry out around 300 to 400 announced visits per year. It is important to note that an approved training centre is subject to centre visits from both JAUPT and DVSA/DVA. This means that you could experience two visits in a short period of time from either organisation. I should add that we have had two JAUPT announced visits but not experienced a DVSA visit….as yet.

The purpose of an announced visit is to check whether standards are being maintained and to confirm the centre’s internal processes and procedures as per their Scheme of Control and confirmatory statements, detailed in the centre application form.

An approved training centre is subject to at least one announced visit during the five year

approval period from JAUPT. Your JAUPT announced quality assurance visit will always be conducted within the first twelve months of approval and will be pre-arranged between JAUPT and the centre.

Whether you are a centre that has not begun training yet or a centre that is conducting fifty plus training courses a month, the visit will still be conducted.

1. Responsibilities

The responsibility for quality and safety at an approved training centre lies with the responsible

contact. This is the person operationally responsible for periodic training. Ensure this person is present throughout the visit and is fully up to date with your policies and procedures. I have heard of auditors turning up for an audit and the responsible contact either not there or they just leave the auditor in a room on their own. Aside from this being a irrisponsible strategy, it’s just damm right rude.

2. Prepare

I know this sounds obvious but you should start your preperation from the day you confirm your dates. List out all the individual aspects of your internal systems and tackle each job systematically and methodically. There are two helpful documents published by JAUPT which you should familiarise yourself with.

The first document is the Centre quality assurance self assessment. This is a check list type document which will help you identify areas of continuous improvement and assist you to compartmentalise all the requisite areas needing attention.

The areas covered include:

Quality and delivery of the training
Knowledge transfer
The learning environment
Course content ensuring the course is being delivered in line with the approved
Course layout and identification checks and registration

The second document is the course quality assurance check list. It will assist you with the identification of areas of continuous improvement. Although this second useful document is aimed at course quality, it will help to ensure you have covered everything off. It should also form part of your annual review processes. We’ll come that next.

3. Review

Obviously, reviews are ongoing and should be carried out annually. Part of your audit is to confirm your internal processes and procedures as per your Scheme of Control (SoC). However, if you haven’t already, this is a good time to carry out your review. This will really help you to pass your audit as you don’t want to be caught out with an old, out of date policy or procedure!

Once you have reviewed your SoC make sure you re-version number the document and send it to your case worker at JAUPT for approval.

I have set up three approved training centres in my time so we have a SoC template which may help. You can purchase one here. Remember this is only a template so you will need to adjust to your requirements!

4. Reconcile

You will need to cross reference training dates supplied to JAUPT with training delivered. This is achieved by using the R&E system, your own records and scheduled courses supplied to JAUPT. The quickest and easiest way is to use an excel spread sheet. As we all know however, the R&E system is somewhat antiquated, so trying to get a data download in the form of a spreadsheet from here is simply not possible. Unfortunately, for some reason the R&E team won’t provide training centres with this useful document either. Luckily there is a solution, as you can request the same spreadsheet from JAUPT, just ask your case worker. You will need to justify any anomalies to your auditor, so make sure you make notes regarding any issues.

It’s worth noting auditors like to see a working spreadsheet which also manages uploads dates/upload reference numbers.

5. Paperwork

If you didn’t know you can keep electronic records. So no need to have boxes of registration sheets and feedback forms present. Which ever system you use, just make sure all records are present, are easily accessible and in chronological order.

6. On the day

Start early and arrive at work at least two hours before the auditor arrives. This is twofold as your auditor will most likely arrive early and you need to have time to prepare your records and environment. Use a well lit, clean/tidy separate room where you won’t be disturbed. Make your auditor feel welcome, offer them some refreshments and stay with your auditor throughout. Trust me, this will make the whole process much more comfortable for all parties.

As long as you are well prepared for your JAUPT announced quality assurance visit, you have been methodical and you have covered off the above points, your day will be a relaxed and enjoyable one.

Join the TMconsultant Consortium

TMconsultant is a Driver CPC training consortium and we provide like minded companies and individuals with the opportunity to deliver Driver CPC training but would prefer not to set up a training centre in their own right. For more information please visit our website or just get in touch. Here to share the knowledge!

Revision to the Driver CPC directive have your say

Posted on

DVSA’s revision to the Driver CPC directive is here. It’s time to have your say!

The DVSA have released a survey regarding the revision to the Driver CPC directive. Interestingly, they have already provided top line proposals for us to comment on. However, there is an opportunity to air your views and thoughts via email if you wish. This will provided to you at the end of the survey.

Top line proposals to periodic training, are to:

Prevent a repeat of training courses during a periodic training cycle
Include road safety in at least one periodic training session
Allow other elements of training to be included, such as disability awareness, dangerous goods transportation and animal transportation

Nothing too controversial here, yet they haven’t addressed issues concerning Driver CPC trainers and drivers alike specifically regarding timings…..read on.

Here’s my thoughts on the current proposals

Prevent a repeat of training courses during a periodic training cycle – This doesn’t include remedial training but suffice to say this decision is currently easily manageable by between training provider, employee and employer
Include road safety in at least one periodic training session – Of course it’s a good idea but I haven’t met any provider who doesn’t already offer a H&S module/course. Plus I haven’t met any driver who wouldn’t want to have training in H&S
Allow other elements of training to be included, such as disability awareness, dangerous goods transportation and animal transportation – All elements related to transport should be included in the syllabus.

Timings and the 35/7 hour rule

I am surprised to see there is no mention on timings. In my opinion, the 35/7 hour rule, is a major issue and needs to be addressed. The question is, how do we ensure the drivers (and trainers) get the most out of Driver CPC and have taken in and digested the training provided?

Current thinking is to make a driver sit in class room for 7 hours and the trainer use questions, quizes and discussions to satisfy understanding. I have provided Driver CPC to delegates who have already had training in the subject matter previously taught and I can say (from experience) some drivers have only been able to demonstrate little or (in fact) no understanding of said subject matter from the previous session. This is because it is currently perfectly feasible to physically be present in a classroom, yet mentally not.

A driver can be present in the class room for 7 hours and simply choose not to engage. There’s not much a trainer can do about it. Obviously, I’d like to think non of my delegates have fallen into this bracket but I can’t say for sure. Further more, there’s no way to measure how successful Driver CPC is or even if it’s working at all.

The Solution

Have in place a multiple choice test at the end of the course, simple! This does beg the question, would drivers prefer to sit for 7 hours or take a small test at the end? Even if the drivers did opt for the 7 hours (which I doubt), this also flies in the face of current understanding of the learning method.

We take a test at the end of our GCSEs (O levels in my day!), we take a test at the end of our B class driving instruction, we take a test at the end of our Class 1/2, we take a test to become a Transport Manager. Ok you get the point, we take tests to demonstrate we have understood the information being taught.

If the only reason for not testing at the end of Driver CPC is because the perceived notion is drivers won’t like it, then this is not only a huge assumption, it’s patronising and unreasonable relative to current understanding in the learning process.

The other great advantage to having a test in place, it would eradicate rogue training providers finishing early for the day. It just wouldn’t be a problem anymore and thus ensuring drivers will receive the full training they have paid for and deserve.

There are details like, management process, what happens if a driver doesn’t pass etc. However, these are just detail which are easily worked out. In case you’re wondering, I do have the complete solution but for reasons of blog interest and general interest I shall keep this post to the point.

Now is the time to look at how Driver CPC works in more detail and the opportunity to use logic to make DCPC more workable. Have your say in the Driver CPC directive review NOW.

How do I have my say?

Go here to complete the Driver CPC directive survey.

If you need any advice regarding Driver CPC training or would like to become an Driver CPC Affiliate Consortium Member, then just get in touch. We’re here to share the knowledge!

How to become a Driver CPC trainer

Posted on

In this post under Driver CPC training, we’ll look at how to become a Driver CPC trainer, analysing the different routes you can take to become a Driver CPC trainer. If you’re already working in the transport industry then it might be easier than you think!

Step 1. Get Qualified

The first thing you need to do is assess your current status, essentially are you qualified and what is your experience?

To become a Driver CPC training instructor, you will need to be suitably qualified within the subject matter you would like to teach and have the relevant skills and experience. So, if you’re a qualified Transport Manager or an experienced HGV driver for example, then it’s likely you already possess most of those skills and experience needed.

The other skill/experience/qualification you’ll need is for the teaching itself. If you don’t have any (or limited) teaching experience, then you should consider taking a ‘train the trainer course’. This is usually a 5-day course which will provide you with all the information and training you’ll need to teach Driver CPC training. There are plenty of train-the-trainer courses out there, just Google it or have a butcher’s at the RHA’s course here. It’s worth noting the RHA is ridiculously expensive but it is a very comprehensive course, I took it myself!

Once you’re qualified then you’re ready to go to the next stage.

Route 1. Apply for a Driver CPC Trainer job

Most training centres will only employ you on a part-time on an ad hoc basis. So essentially you’ll be a freelancer, but you never know there may be some full-time positions out there. I’m not going to teach you to suck eggs when it comes to applying for a job as I’m sure you’re well versed in this area. Just make sure your CV is up-to-date and well-written. I might write a ‘how to write a winning CV and cover letter’ at some point but we’ll save that for another time. A great way to earn a decent living from Driver CPC training is to tout yourself to various centres AND join a Driver CPC Consortium. This brings us to route 2.

Route 2. Join a Driver CPC Consortium

Joining a Driver CPC Consortium is a great way to become a Driver CPC trainer, and run your own business at the same time! It’s a good alternative to setting up a centre in your own right.

A Consortium is a fully-fledged Driver CPC training centre, but they also have the authority to provide trainers with the opportunity to deliver Driver CPC under their umbrella. It’s essentially a cost-effective and hassle-free way to set up your own Driver CPC training business. Many freelancers, in-house transport managers and existing training centres do it this way.

There are a few Driver CPC Consortiums out there but of course, I’m going to promote my own Driver CPC training consortium! The remaining route is to set up your own Driver CPC training centre.

Route 3. Set up a Driver CPC training Centre

DVSA oversee all Driver CPC Training centres. They manage applications and quality assure centres and courses that deliver periodic training in the UK.

First, go to the .gov website. Download and complete the application form. One for the centre and one when applying to register your courses.

As part of the application, you will need to write a scheme of control or SoC. This document should include all the policies and procedures you’ll need to run your centre.

If you need help with this, then feel free to get in touch as I can supply a template Scheme of Control. I can also provide course materials, tools, stationery and support to help you get your training centre approval as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I hope you found my How to Become a Driver CPC Trainer post useful. If you need any advice or further information please do get in touch. We’re here to share the knowledge!