Training

All of our drivers and escorts have Enhanced CRB/Police clearance with CRB Certificate and permits; the drivers are either licensed as Hackney Carriage or Private Hire by the City Of Sunderland Council or in the case of buses over eight seats, the drivers will have Public Service Vehicle licences.

Since March 2007, all our drivers and escorts have had to undergo qualified training in MiDAS and the Passenger Assistant Training Scheme, whic h is regulated by the Community Transport Association.

The modules everyone has to complete are:

Module A (the role of the passenger assistant)

Module B (assisting passengers with disabilities)

Module C1 (supervising children and young people with special needs)

Module C2 (working with adults who need care and supervision)

Module D (emergency aid)

Module E (Manual Handling)

Module F (Safely Managing Challenging Behaviour)

We also have the option for our drivers to undertake further training with the Level 2 NVQ in Road Passenger Vehicle Driving and EDI Level 1 award in Disability Awareness, many of our drivers have already completed these courses and are set to take further NVQ training

All drivers and escorts are vetted to ensure their suitability to work with special needs children, and all are self-employed.