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IVR UK Ltd. | Working for the Rescue and Recovery Industry

Statement

Press Release

Vehicle Rescue & Recovery Training for the Future

The discussions that the Rescue and Recovery Industry has been having with the Highways Agency for the development of a National Highways Sector Training Scheme for Rescue and Recovery at construction sites (Sector scheme 17a) has been well documented in the past few years. During these meetings with the Highways Agency, the National Recovery Industry Training Group (NRITG) was formed.  The members, as representatives of the many Rescue and Recovery Associations, had the common aim to contribute their collective experience and develop the framework for training programmes for the future operators.

The IVR carried out a study of the training standards for instructors as set by the Forklift Truck Industry. The aim of the study was to adopt and improve on their training techniques to suit the Rescue and Recovery Industry. Following this study the IVR and ITSSAR (Independent Training Standards Scheme & Register, the Forklift Truck Industry Standards body), entered into a working relationship to develop further the high standards required for the Rescue and Recovery Industry. 
The first priority was to train a qualified instructor to deliver instructor training to the highest standard, specific for the Rescue and Recovery Industry.
Prior to this, a number of IVR instructors attended an ITSSAR FLT and Lorry Loader course for training instructors. This was achieved and was a first for our industry. The IVR nominated Steve Kirton to attend further training with ITSSAR and completed the CAT-4 training program.

Steve Kirton (IVR) and Terry Crampton (IVR Council member) have worked for the past 5 years to promote and create a modular approach to training for the Rescue and Recovery industry, resulting in the current 18 modules technical certificate. This approach makes training more consistent, reliable and with a greater degree of accountability.

After completion of the technical certificate, the National Highways Sector Scheme 17a came into force and during the implementation discussions the Highways Agency voiced their concerns over the lack of a consistent and compulsory training scheme for the Rescue and Recovery industry. The modular technical certificate training scheme just completed was put forward to the committee, as it met most of the criteria required for a good training scheme and this was accepted.
 
The National Highways Sector Scheme Committee formed a sub-committee to deal with training and the formulation of the requirements to be policed by the yet to be nominated administrator of the training scheme.  In May 2006 the NHSS committee appointed the IVR as the Administrator of the National Training Scheme for the Rescue and Recovery Industry with the full support of the majority of the committee including ACPO and SURVIVE.

Instructors wishing to participate on the National training scheme will have to meet a set of required standards in order to be registered with the administrator as an authorised Instructor.  Instructors will be audited against the training standards outlined later in this document.  It is a requirement of the scheme that training providers and instructors will be registered with The Administrator and will require auditing.

Any instructor wishing to be accepted on to the scheme must meet all criteria of the following minimum standards.

i.	Instructors who have undergone and passed an approved vehicle rescue and recovery specific, instructional techniques course. (E.g. ITSSAR/Recovery Category 1 course currently available).

NOTE:	
Current instructors, who have undergone and passed a ten day instructional techniques course which is not vehicle recovery specific, will have to convert by way of assessment against developed approved trainer’s standards.

ii.	All instructors must have documented relevant practical experience in the Rescue & recovery industry in order to be accepted as a scheme instructor for Modules 3 onwards.

iii.	All instructors must be trained and qualified to instructor level in every module they wish to train. The initial trainer qualification would be gained using 1 module, approval to train in further modules will be granted by The Administrator following an audit of Instructors lesson plans, observation of delivery and successful completion of the module theory test paper, provided that the required standard is reached.

iv.	All instructors must pass an Instructor specific question paper to back up experience.

v.	All instructors must produce a CV to the administrator.

vi.	All instructors must attend and pass refresher training which will take place every five years.

Following the appointment, the IVR set the instructor level standards as follows:
  
Level 1 = Internal Instructor
Is allowed to carry out internal training against the VR Modules,  However, he will only be permitted to sign off the core modules 1, 2 and 3 once assessed and approved by the Administrator (IVR UK).

Level 2 = External Instructor
Is allowed to carry out training, assessment and to sign off VR Modules once approved by the Administrator (IVR UK)

Level 3 = Assessor
 Is allowed to assess and sign off VR Modules once approved by the  Administrator (IVR UK)

Level 4 = Tutor Status
ITSSAR Cat 4 is approved by the Administrator (IVR UK) to train trainers in training techniques to the ITSSAR Cat 1 Level.

The IVR, to maintain impartiality and transparency and ensure the protection of its members, formed IVR (UK) Ltd. to handle all matters relating to the role of Administrator.

Since assuming the role of Administrator, the Institute has invested over £70.000 to develop and improve the infrastructure, IT, databases, ID card issuing systems and protocols, certification, etc.

The Scheme will be fully implemented twelve months after its publication by UKAS (March 2007) on its website.  In addition, the scheme will be included in Appendix A of the Specification for Highway Works (SHW) as a mandatory requirement for suppliers contracted to the Highways Agency where SHW is a contractual document.  Separately the document will be called up in specific contracts as necessary.

The Institute pricing policy for the scheme considers in detail the costs to the industry and sets the prices accordingly aiming to reinvest any profits back into the industry whilst at the same ensuring enough of the profits are channeled for future development and improvements of the scheme.

It is accepted that experienced operators will not be required to undertake the training but they must take the skills and theory tests to prove they meet the required standard.
It will be a requirement for all operators to register with IVR (UK) Ltd. and the registration costs have been initially set as follows:

Costs
Prices quoted are subject to VAT at 17.5%

Initial Registration Fee        		£ 35.00

Administration including 
a certificate for each module taken	£ 25.00

Core Modules VR1, VR2, VR3		£ 60.00
The administration cost is reduced by £15.00 when the
core modules are completed together

Registration Training Centre		£ 250.00 pa

Registration Training providers		£ 250.00 pa

Recovery companies may also benefit by becoming a training centre, applications can be downloaded from the website.

Instructors’ assessment under the sector scheme requires that all internal instructors be assessed every 3 years. External instructors’ assessment times are currently under review.

Commitment

The IVR and IVR (UK) Ltd are committed to set and maintain the highest standard in training and maintain a progressive view in adopting and developing new techniques for the improvement of safety and operational standards in our industry

National Highway Sector Schemes

IVR (UK) Ltd. Top floor, Bignell House, Horton Rd.
West Drayton, Middlesex. UB7 8EJ
Telephone: 01895 436426.