Driver training expert Dulson Training has achieved gold standard in its first audit as a successful Driver CPC Centre - and in a double celebration, the company has also become an accredited trainer for a prestigious national scheme of excellence.
Dulson Training became a Driver CPC Centre in 2018 and the audit, carried out by inspectors from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, is a requirement every five years, although in this case it was delayed by a year due to the pandemic.
The company’s other good news sees it accredited to the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS), meaning Dulson Training can now deliver FORS training courses for haulier members of this national body.
Hayley Norgrove, Dulson Training’s Operations Director, said:
“The audit was our first as a Driver CPC Centre and we are over the moon with our gold standard rating - full marks throughout, no action points raised and nothing we need to do as a result of the inspectors’ visit, so we are really happy!
“CPC, or Driver Certificate of Professional Competence, is a professional driving qualification that's required to drive a lorry, bus, or coach professionally and the audit was really comprehensive, covering our policies, procedures and storage of documentation, ensuring we have been totally compliant.
“We had to keep everything relating to the courses we ran since 2018, such as paperwork regarding training records for instructors including their CPD records, and records of admin staff and their CPD. We needed to show that there were no holes anywhere and that nothing untoward was going on regarding data, security, passwords and so on.
“It was one of the biggest audits we have been involved in as a company and a really big deal because they have the power to shut you down immediately if necessary. We had no prior warning of what the inspectors would be looking at and I was locked in a room with them for the duration of the audit producing documents on demand.
“It’s important to say that as a Driver CPC Centre all our staff have been instrumental in maintaining the required standards during the audit period. It’s my job to look after anything DVSA related, ensuring we remain compliant, but all our staff have played their part in this success and we thank them for their continued efforts.”
Turning to the FORS accreditation, Hayley said Dulson Training was proud to have been recognised in this way and was looking forward to helping hauliers continue to meet industry standards through top-level training.
“FORS is a voluntary accreditation programme designed to improve standards in the road transport industry,”
she added.
“It assesses and recognises fleet performance in key areas such as environmental impact, safety, and operational efficiency - setting benchmarks to help operators enhance their performance in these areas.
“It is a hugely important nationally recognised body and becoming an accredited training centre means we can now deliver FORS training courses for registered hauliers who meet and need to maintain the required standards. One FORS course will see us deliver training on bicycles so professional drivers can better understand the vulnerability of a cyclist.
“These are not the only new additions to our Driver CPC course options for 2025, we will also be running regular accredited Mental Health First Aid training courses along with: Emergency First Aid at Work; Customer Service; Safeguarding; Bridge Strikes; LoCity (FORS); Safe Urban Driving (FORS); In Cab; Health & Safety; Tiredness, Diet & Lifestyle; Licence, Weights & Dimensions; Vehicle Checks & Defects; Company & Public Image; Drivers Hours; Economical Driving; Tacho; Security; Emergency Aid; Petroleum Passport; Fire Marshal; Vulnerable Road Users; ADR; Transport Manager Initial & Refresher; OLAT; In Cab Driver Assessment.”
Dulson Training has sites in Shrewsbury, Telford, Wrexham, Ludlow, Nantwich and a satellite centre in Wolverhampton. Its services include lorry and bus licence acquisition and driver assessments, Driver CPC, Forklift, First Aid, ADR and Fleet Training across all regions.
For more, visit https://www.dulsontraining.co.uk/