New taxi driver training to tackle child exploitation considered for Carlisle Taxi drivers in Carlisle could be made to undertake compulsory safeguarding training in a bit to prevent child sexual exploitation.
Hackney Carriage licences are issued by Carlisle City Council and members of the authority’s regulatory panel will discuss introducing the new measure at a meeting on Wednesday.
In order to obtain a Hackney Carriage licence, anyone submitting an application to the council must meet prove they are a “fit and proper person” and meet the terms of several different criteria.
It includes passing a number of security checks as well as providing a statutory declaration about any spent or unspent convictions, a local knowledge test and a practical driving test.
A report prepared for members of the panel says safeguarding training has been made compulsory for all drivers in Gateshead, while both new drivers and those applying to renew licences issued in Scarborough must do the same. Safeguarding training is compulsory for new drivers in Peterborough and Mansfield.
Recommendations for safeguarding training have been made following two reports into historical child sexual abuse in Rotherham.
The report recommends: “The requirement for drivers to attend a safeguarding training session will become a mandatory condition.
“Existing drivers will have 12 months to complete the training from the date of their first session. New drivers will be required to attend a session prior to making a formal application.”
It adds: “Failure to do so will result in a requirement to attend the regulatory panel, where members will consider whether or not the applicant meets the criteria of the council’s ‘fit and proper person’ test.”
Wayne Casey, chairman of the Carlisle Taxi Drivers’ Association, said: “It’s something that’s being rolled out across the country and as far as we’re aware, it’s something that’s been discussed in the House of Commons in light of what happened in Rotherham.
“Carlisle is probably ahead of the game in that respect.
“It’s training drivers to be able to spot the signs. It’s difficult to say if it’ll work, because a driver can’t be making false allegations, but I’d imagine that’s what the training will look at."
source:
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/New-t ... ec6b99a-ds
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