MINIBUS AND TRANSPORT POLICY

Transcription

1 MINIBUS AND TRANSPORT POLICY Governing body approved Date last reviewed: Autumn 2015 Review date: Autumn 2016 Responsible Committee : Safeguarding & Pupil Behaviour Statutory Policy: NO

2 The policy applies to: All minibuses with up to 16 passenger seats used on Hailey Hall business whether owned, hired or borrowed. All persons who it is intended should drive such a minibus (e.g. employee, parent, voluntary worker. All staff employed by the school providing home to school transport to eligible Hertfordshire students. Any member of staff transporting students in their own vehicle Use of school-owned vehicles on school business Management of Minibuses At all workplaces using minibuses, an individual must be nominated as being responsible for all the arrangements relating to their use, including maintenance and the proper upkeep of the vehicles, the maintenance of drivers records, vehicle checks and ensuring drivers assessment and re-assessment in accordance with school arrangements. Driver Training All drivers must hold a full Category B (car) licence; non-employees must have held this for at least two years. Employees who first obtained a Category B (car) licence after 1 January 1997 must additionally obtain Category D or D1 by passing a medical and the Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) theory and practical driving tests. This also applies to all drivers with pre-1997 licences if they intend to drive a minibus anywhere outside the UK and carry paying passengers. Prior to driving a minibus on Hailey Hall activities, a person must satisfy the council s Road Safety Unit (RSU) of their competence. This can be either by achieving the required standard in an assessment in respect of the criteria agreed by the RSU with one of the Unit s approved assessors, OR by producing their driving licence to show they have passed the PCV tests as in paragraph 3. Certificate of Competence and Permit to Drive Minibuses Following the successful completion of the minibus assessment, the assessor will issue the driver a certificate of competence. The Road Safety Unit issues a permit to drive minibuses for 5 years on Hailey Hall business. This is issued either when advised by the assessor of the successful assessment OR (for minibuses only) when the driver produces the driving licence showing full Category D or D1 entitlement as in paragraph 4. 2

3 Re-assessments The competence of all drivers, including holders of full category D or D1 licences, must be re-assessed every 5 years against the agreed criteria by an assessor approved by the Road Safety Unit. Approved Assessors The approved assessor may be either An internal workplace assessor trained and certificated by the County Council s Road Safety Unit. An external driving school/organisation approved by the RSU. Age of Drivers The minimum legal age for driving minibuses or any school leased vehicle is 21 years. 3

4 There is no maximum age limit, but drivers aged 70 and over must renew their Category D1 entitlement by passing the medical examination required by DVLA. The school insurance provider also needs to have the individual details of any driver over 70. Medical Fitness and Licence Checks Prior to the assessment and annually thereafter the nominated person responsible for minibuses must: Be satisfied as to the medical fitness of the driver. Inspect the driver s licence to ensure it is current, has the appropriate entitlement (category D1), noting any change in the issue number since the last inspection. If there are more than 3 penalty points currently in force the school s insurance provider must be consulted. Retain a copy of the driving licence on file and require notification of any changes to it (e.g. addition of penalty points). NOTE: The official HCC manual containing comprehensive guidance on the purchase and use of minibuses is available on the county council s web site Students Transported by a staff member using their own vehicle Members of staff transporting students in their own vehicle must have a valid full car driving licence, with at least 2 years driving experience, with no more than 3 points currently in force on their licence. The vehicle must have a current MOT and the member of staff must have business insurance. The driver must provide the school with their vehicle registration documentation to hold on file. All drivers sign an agreement and are required to inform the school if there is a change to their driving details, including any penalties incurred during the year. A central record is held with all current driver details, including copies of the above mentioned documents. Annual rechecks of all drivers are taken, including checking all valid documents, and the central file is updated. Use of School-Owned Vehicles on School Business The school-owned vehicles are intended for school purposes only and are only ever to be used for the personal use with authorisation of the Headteacher and prior agreement. School-owned vehicles may be used for transportation and maintenance needs. When the operation of the school minibus is not practical and not cost-effective, a school-owned vehicle may be used for student transportation, and school business. All vehicles transporting students shall be driven by a staff member who holds a valid regular driver s licence, a referral will be made to the insurance company in the event of a member of staff having more than 3 penalty points currently in force. The school will retain a copy of the driver s licences on file and require notification of any changes to it (e.g addition of penalty points). This will be updated annually. 4

5 Students Transported Home to School MPVs (7 seats) and small vehicles. The School will: Plan and manage the service in line with the County Council s client transport policies and according to the Memorandum of Association agreement with the Local Authority Carry out enhanced DBS checks on drivers and passenger assistants and issue ID badges when this process is complete confirming their status which parents/carers and any other interested parties are welcome to inspect at any time Organise training courses which drivers/passenger assistants may require Ensure that the vehicle is driven by a competent driver licensed and insured in accordance with the law. A copy of the current licence shall be taken and an online DVLA check completed and held on file before commencement of employment. Drivers must notify the school immediately of any changes and/or restrictions placed on the licences by the licensing authority. An annual check will be carried out each year. Ensure that any vehicle being used to provide the service complies with the specification, the schedules and the terms of the contract. Where possible, passengers should not travel for more than 75 minutes. Student Travel Arrangements Before each journey drivers must perform a visual check on the vehicle. Any defects must be reported immediately to the Transport Manager. If the vehicle s defect deems it not safe to drive the vehicle must not be driven under any circumstances. A risk assessment carried out regarding transporting students is issued to each driver and held on file. If required an individual risk assessment will be carried out for a Student if they have a particular need/medical condition. Drivers will collect students from the kerb side at all times and ensure safe collection and drop off points. All drivers will have student addresses for collection and contact telephone numbers of parent/carers. All journeys are pre-planned and a copy of the routes held by the Transport Manager. A system will be in place to record the details of all journeys. A system needs to be put in place and communicated to staff to ensure an appropriate response is summoned and action taken in the event of an accident or emergency during transport. All staff who transport students as part of their role should have access to a mobile phone. The law makes drivers responsible for ensuring those under 14 years of age wear an appropriate seatbelt. However, where staff are transporting students as part of their job then they will at all times be responsible for ensuring the students transported are wearing a seatbelt irrespective of their age. 5

6 There are very clear dangers to passengers and drivers if seatbelts are not worn if a driver becomes aware of this they should stop the journey as soon as it is safe to do so. If the passenger continues to refuse to wear a seatbelt then the journey should be stopped until a solution is found. Drivers must not use a mobile phone or drink whilst driving on school business and should be aware of the Highway Code and drive appropriately and within speed limits. In order to facilitate this when planning journey s adequate time for the journey must be allowed. Staff should not be expected to drive an excessive number of hours in a day especially if they are undertaking other work. All loads should be carried in the boot where possible or should be suitably secured. Legislation requires all young people in cars, vans and other goods vehicles to be carried in the correct child restraint from birth until either are 135cm (4 5 ) tall or have reached the age of 12 years (whichever comes first). All students over the age of 12 must wear a seatbelt. Children/Young People Parent/ carers must give their permission for a student to be transported in a staff member s vehicle, where this is necessary. Every effort should be made to gain written consent but where this is not practically possible; details of the verbal consent should be recorded. If no kind of consent is obtained, transportation should not be permitted. Students must behave appropriately while travelling in the vehicle. If there are any concerns during the journey a dynamic on the spot risk assessment should be carried out to determine if there is a significant risk to the driver or passenger and appropriate action taken. If the student has a medical condition that is likely to require additional support/medication, their medication book and sealed medication bag, a log sheet for administrating medication must be available. A member of staff who has received training in administering medication should accompany the student in the vehicle. Accidents In the case of a road traffic accident, these must be reported by the driver to the Transport Manager and appropriate details logged at the time of the accident. Safeguarding HM Government Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015) requires all organisations to follow the procedure for protecting children from abuse which are established by the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board. Organisations are also expected to ensure that they have appropriate procedures in place for responding to situations in which they believe that a child has been abused or is at risk of abuse these procedures should also cover circumstances in which a member of staff is accused of, or suspected of, abuse. 6