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TABS has issued a 'live' document re. Funding sources: http://www.tabs-uk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/FUNDING-GUIDANCE-V00D.docx
What examples of funding success stories can you share? What sources of funding do you have experience of accessing? Any other thoughts/comments to share?
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A useful website for updates on new Sport England Funding opportunities - https://www.sportengland.org/funding/new-funding-when-to-apply/
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Sorry about that. My verification code arrived just now within 10 minutes?
I am afraid that TABS don't have any involvement with the production and distribution, or costings for the Bikeability Plus awards materials - you need to talk to the Bikeability Support Team about that - steve@bikeability-materials.org.uk Thanks! -
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Find out more about Bristol's inclusive training programme - http://www.tabs-uk.org.uk/bristols-bikeability-programme-specialist-inclusive-all-abilities-cycle-training/
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Has anyone got photos, quotes, stories that you can share showing the positive outcomes of Bikeability training and what it means to the children and their parents? Please share here! For starters take a look at this lovely card that Islington Council received, and some quotes below:
Primary schools
There should be more days of this course because I loved it so much!
It was nice to go onto the roads and know you are safe.
I really liked this course because it was fun and I think it would be good as an after school club.
Secondary schools
Parents who might have worried about their child cycling to school safely were really impressed that the Bikeability sessions included planning a safe route to and from home plus test riding it with the instructor. The school's cycle shelter is filled up these days, not just with student bikes, but also with those of staff who were inspired by just how far some of our students cycle in from!
Bill Starkey, the deputy headteacher, Holloway Secondary SchoolOur students gained basic cycle maintenance skills, as well as cycling skills for the busy roads of London. Having someone spend time with them as they venture onto the roads gives them the confidence to ride solo. This was a very simple scheme to implement with a multitude of benefits for young people.
Declan Hamblin, PE teacher, Highbury FieldsAdults
You can't believe how happy I am with these wonderful courses. I thought I will never be able to cycle, but the training was a great help to me
I am really happy and impressed about all the effort that goes into developing cycling in the borough. It’s definitely an investment that will pay itself back over the long run. Well done and good luck going forward.
I just wanted to thank you so much for such a very useful and enjoyable afternoon, relearning my cycling skills. I completed the 22k cycle ride for the London Duathlon, which I was really pleased with, especially as I haven't cycled in about 20 years. The tips about braking, position on the saddle and changing gear were absolutely invaluable. My instructor gave me so much confidence, it really helped so much and I absolutely loved the experience.
I gained massively from the attention paid to how I ride my bike. I have been cycling in London since 1985 and haven’t really stopped to think about cycling style. Great session, very professionally run, enjoyable and I learned masses. Couldn’t ask for more and would recommend to experienced cyclists.
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Below are thoughts from a 2014 conference discussion group - any comments, suggestions?
The group agreed that:
a. Instructors aren’t paid enough for the skills required for the job
b. ITOS and schemes should aim to increase the pay of instructors in order to have a reliable professional staff
c. Instructors should be encouraged to form a Guild or Union -
Notes from 2014 conference workshop below on this issue. Your reactions, thoughts, comments?
o The group plotted examples of road user response on a graph that had axis for positive / negative motives of road users, and another for positive / negative effect on training
o As cycle instructors we need to avoid inflaming other road users but can often derive useful training outcomes by talking through with trainees after the event.
o We valued the following situations against motive and effect as follows:Drive gives way when we don’t want – positive motive, negative effect (although can encourage children to deal with it assertively – don’t dither, take control of the situation) Snaking – driver butts in – negative motive, positive effect Driver turns in and cuts corner (major to minor) – negative effect Wheelies by show-off (outside training Driver trying to help but not helping positive motive, uncertain effect Angry driver – mitigation – negative motive and effect (Exemplary instructor behaviour to defuse situation. Communicate without aggression) Driver cuts in and blocks carriageway (this roads too busy etc.) – negative motive, negative effect
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2-014 TABS workshop notes on this subject below. Your thoughts, reactions, ideas?
• How much theory (not too much)? How much demo time?
• Allow mistakes
• Change locations
• Plenty of practice
• Make practice realistic
• If large group of trainees-split into smaller groups
• Chose best order for the trainees to perform outcomes
• Using the Bikeability booklets as part of the theory
• (discussion re) pros and cons over training over 4 or 5 consecutive days against over two full days
• Too much feedback can be off putting esp when trainee is still cycling
• “ Clever people learn by mistakes, the very clever people learn by others..”
• “ A good session is one where no one notices there is theory -
Notes from 2014 conference workshop below - thoughts, comments?
• Variation between ITO’s across the country. Some offer full CPD programme and fund instructors who deliver for them, others offer none.
• Call for funding to allow all ITO’s to offer 6 hours of free CPD. But who provides this funding?
• All courses (NSI) must be four days. Most see the main role of an ITO to deliver these courses and nothing else.
• Should NSI’s be licensed ie. provide proof of CPD etc. and re-register with ITO yearly?
• Call for standardisation of ITOS ie. in set locations (county or regionally based) who can licence NSI’s who deliver in their area.BACKGROUND NOTES FOR SESSION:
Instructor training organisations are at the centre of the system to enhance and maintain the quality of National Standard instructor training in England.
Instructor Training Organisations (ITOS) are the only bodies recognised by the government as providers of training for National Standard instructor trainers, instructors and assistance instructors.
All ITOS have been through a comprehensive application process to assess their ability to deliver National Standard instructor training and provide membership services to instructors. ITOs’ training and management is reviewed periodically by the DfT.
ITOS are responsible for training new instructors and for providing existing instructors with opportunities for continuing professional development and updates to the National Standard for cycle training. ITOS are required to provide membership services to help ensure the standard of cycle training delivered by National Standard instructors is maintained after the initial 4-day course and post-course assessment.
Only instructors trained by ITOs will be issued with National Standard Instructor (NSI) numbers, which identify them as providing cycle training that meets the National Standard.
Cycle training schemes registered with Bikeability must use National Standard Instructors who are members of an ITO to deliver training. DfT grant for cycle training will only be payable to eligible schemes if they are using instructors who are members of an ITO to deliver the cycle training.
What happens in Devon:
- Work closely together to ensure all NSI’s are members of ITO
- Work together to provide FREE annual CPD
- Work together to run annual Bikeability Conference for 70+ instructors
DfT – should they provide funding to support this with funding for ITO’s?
- Work closely together to ensure all NSI’s are members of ITO
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Below are notes from a TABS 2014 conference workshop on this issue - thoughts? comments?
Around 30 people joined the buzz group and raised the following points:
• A training scheme based on national standards needs national award materials which are consistently used by delivery schemes. The new award materials and guidance on their use were designed to achieve such consistency.
• The TABS consultation focused on the award materials revealed schemes’ concern that they should remind trainees and inform parents about the training. The summary of outcomes on the certificates attempts to do this.
• Some schemes feel the wording on the certificates is misleading. It was felt by some that‘At Level X you can’ suggests trainees have passed all the outcomes summarised on the certificate. The summary of outcomes includes optional units which not all trainees do. There is no facility apart from the open space at the back for instructors to show where which outcomes a trainee has not met the outcomes / requires practice / improvement.
• There was anecdotal evidence that some schemes are continuing to issue their own certificates, and are unhappy that they are unable to modify the new certificates despite recent clarification from the Department for Transport confirming the requirement to use official materials only.
• Likewise some schemes are reported to still be issuing certificates for achievement, others for participation, others do different things despite recent clarification from the Department for Transport.
• Pricing - ordering certificates and badges together means some schemes have a proportion of spare badges (for children who participate in but do not achieve the level, and only get a certificate). Some are unaware that certificates and handbooks can be ordered separately.
Actions subsequently discussed with SDG:
• revise certificates with changed wording for next print run – expected in the Autumn.
• change certificate wording
o replace ‘At level X you can’ with ‘Training at level X covers the following:’
o clearly indicate optional outcomes on the list
o add at the bottom 'PTO for instructor notes on outcomes achieved' or “Your instructor will note any areas which need more practice on the back of this certificate”
• re-issue guidance on use of certificates for participation, badges for achievement, and pricing. Remind instructors they should use the space on the back to note any areas in which trainees require more practice / improvement.
• remind schemes that they are free to issue any other scheme-branded materials they feel are necessary to support the official award materials
• ask TABS to comment/consult on the revised certificates and reissue guidance on behalf of the sector endorsing / supporting the official award materials and official guidance on their issue. -
Below are some notes from the discussion in the Buzz Group session at the 2014 conference - thoughts/comments?
• Transition level 3 courses. In the summer holiday before Year 7. Transition to Secondary School. Outspoken trained 120 children in one school
• Try to put the course into P.E curriculum time. Schools need to be targeted now for the next academic year.
• There are some issues around extra curriculum time, difficult to ensure take up
• Level 3 sometimes can be perceived as not fun. Children often just see it as an extension of lessons. The key is to make it fun, maybe change the course title.
o Bike Club
o Skills Training.
• General experience of holiday courses is the low numbers turning up to the course. Organisations may need to make the participants pay beforehand to ensure they turn up.
• Marketing:
o Parent mail, this is a mail from the school to all parents
• Secondary schools are tricky as no one takes responsibility. Try:
o PE teachers, failing that head of year
o The police officer in charge of the schools
o The inset or extra curriculum day. -
Below are some notes from the 2014 Buzz Group session at TABS conference - thoughts / comments?
• It would be helpful for schemes to be able to link with local all-ability cycling organisations, such as Wheels for Wellbeing
• There are a significant number of young people with specific needs who are in mainstream schools
• Mountbatten School have developed a Saturday morning disability club, where Level 2 is delivered to both children and parents as a family
• The need for specialist equipment can be a barrier to participation, and schemes need help with sourcing providers of adaptive bikes
• A change in the instructor ratios is needed for young people with particular needs, as well as adjustments to delivery (eg getting on and off the pavement)
• It also takes longer to deliver training if all the young people in the group have a disability, so session timings need to be adjusted
• It would be helpful for schemes to have more ideas about things to do when a child turns up without a bike, or an unroadworthy bike, or one that is not fitted properly (eg sharing bikes, getting them involved in the session in another way)
• One scheme highlighted that it is ok for schemes who are running all-ability training, to use the £40 per head funding to deliver it as “working towards” Level 2
• It is possible to train young people on the road on trikes -
Content from the 2014 conference workshop is below - welcome your additional thoughts, comments!
The difference between quantifiable and qualitative risk assessment was highlighted. Quantitative risk assessment is where a hazard is quantified by a system of numbers. i.e. hazard times likelihood equals risk.
Qualitative risk assessment is where hazards are listed and the likelihood of occurrence is not assessed.
One person suggested that we need to be looking at events happening, not hazards. An event might be falling off a bike, whereas a hazard might be a pothole that causes this. It was felt though that reasons for the event need to be taken into account. People, generally, do not simply fall of their bike there is usually a reason for it, such as a pothole. Instructors need to identify the reason and anticipate it.
It was felt that the term should be Risk Management, not Risk Assessment; instructors manage risk in a manner that improves the learning environment.
Risk can be split into two broad areas:- Risk that causes harm to the trainee
- Risk that prevents the achievement of the outcomes.
If Risk is managed appropriately then both the above two areas will be minimised.
We looked at accidents that occur regularly the hazards that can cause them and what we can do about it. The primary accidents that actually do happen are: - Falling off the bike in a Level 1 area
- Over enthusiastic use of the brakes during emergency stopping practise
- Trainees getting too cold (or too hot) due to the weather
- Bike breaking due to poor condition of bike
- Clothing
- General distractions
These can be minimised by: - Training and ground rules
- Assess the trainees progressively
- Appropriate clothing, instructors can bring gloves etc.
- M check, fixing the bike and then the teaching the trainees to check them
- Discussing clothing, tying up loose ends
- Keep the trainees moving and interested.
We discussed using a standard risk assessment form, one that would stand up in court if anything happened. The following thoughts were discussed: - Nothing has been tested in court yet
- Do not be too descriptive, i.e. put bike failure as a risk rather than explain every small thing
- Do not be prescriptive. Use instructor knowledge and experience to make judgements.
- Understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative assessments
- Think about managing risks. Many of the risks you will encounter are part of the realistic training you provide.
Sample form types: Qualitative
Hazard Who and how might it harm How likely is it What you are going to do about it.
Potholes Trainee falling off Quite likely Teach rider to swerveQuantitative
Hazard Who might it harm and how Hazard rating (1 to 5 maybe) How likely is it. Rating (1 to 5 maybe) Total risk rating. (the previous scores are multiplied) What you are going to do about it New likelihood rating
Pothole Trainee falling off Worst case scenario, might break a collar bone. (rating = 3) Reasonably likely to an untrained rider. (rating 3) Rating = 9..
Something should be done to minimise this Teach swerving, observation, bend wrists to absorb bump. Likelihood rating reduced to 2, total rating reduced to 6
Risk Management
Finally we looked at risk management in the learning process. Risk management is an integral part of the learning process. Instructors use hazards to train the riders. However as the rider’s ability increases, then the likelihood of any given hazard causing harm, such as drivers, types of manoeuvres, reduces so the overall risk rating should remain constant. - Risk that causes harm to the trainee
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Below are some thoughts arising from the 2014 conference workshop on this topic.
Your views?
• The outcome was that it would be useful for TABS to produce a document outlining the insurance requirements for Bikeability Schemes and individual instructors and what insurance/types of insurance is available.
• The hierarchy of responsibility of claims would be useful in a flow diagram.
• Currently all schemes are supposed to report all their incidents/accidents to SDG on a yearly basis – there was uncertainty whether this happens and what is done with the information.
• Felt it would be useful to categorise incidents/accidents and report to TABS members that cycle training is a safe activity.
• A Template for an accident/ incident reporting form would be useful for schemes
• Guidance on what is a reportable matter and to whom?
• Suggestion that a workstream is set up to pursue these actions -
Below are notes from the 2014 conference workshop on this topic.
Questions, comments?Who is responsible for the instructors CPD training? (put to the vote in workshop)
• What are schemes responsible for? Monitoring, Update standards to instructors,
• What are ITOs responsible for? Mentoring (PCA), offering CPD, Membership to ITO as part of training.
Vote Result:
• ITO 1
• Bikeability Scheme 3
• Instructor 5
• All parties 18There was follow up discussion around how much CPD training does an instructor have to have or needs to be offered.
CPD – Whose job is it to provide this?
• ITO – Post Course Assessment
• Bikeability Scheme
• External providers for things like first aid trainers
• Other routes not directly linked to cycle trainingThe Bikeability Schemes were the most popular option for this. However the topic of who pays for this was very hotly discussed as each scheme operates differently to each other with regards to the finance around a CPD course.
What CPD do we thing instructors what to further their skill set?
• More money
• Positive vehicle management training
• Level 3 refreshers
• National Standard update sessions
• Disability awareness training
• Nothing
• Moving groups / snaking training
• Risk Assessment training
• Learn to ride delivery techniques
• First Aid
• E-Bike Training (electric and electro-assist)
• Bike Maintenance
• Level 1 games
• Highway code updates and awareness
• Mentor training
• Balance Bike trainingWhat CPD training do schemes think instructors should have?
• Disability awareness training
• Moving groups / snaking training
• Positioning refresher training
• How to teach / save time – 80 /20 balance or 70 / 30 balance
• Outcomes Alive – How to make them more achievable with trainees
• Group management
• How to deal with changing weather conditions and manage groups in poor weather.
• Ideas forum
• Central CPD Record for instructors so that scheme and instructor can see what training instructors have completed.
• Development planning – setting manageable targets for clients
• 1 to 1 training refreshersWhat do we need to help create professional instructors across the board? (standard ideas for training)
• Profession instructor training courses – both 2 day and 4 day courses
• Instructors that want to improve their training delivery and up-skill themselves
• Buddy systems when new instructors start and sounds more friendly than mentor or senior instructors.
• Training on how to communicate with different audiences ( child or adult).
• Wide Skill set amongst teams.
• Professional ethos – understanding what is expected of them.
• Media Training or how to deal with situations where photo’s may be taken or quotes used.
• Child Protection training.Summary
So how did we / do we create professional instructors?
• Understand that we can not create perfect instructors as all training situations are different.
• Joined up thinking. ITOs and Bikeability Schemes talking to each other. Look at what both can offer to each other’s instructors / members. Knowing what instructors want or need in the ever changing environment. Is it updated to Safe Guarding due to new guidance or is it an updates to the national standards workshops?
• Where can we plug the gaps that there may be in up-skilling instructors?
• Looking at when having instructors who are members or multiple ITOs or different ITOs across the board can help.
• Do they work for other schemes that work / operate differently that could help the working practise we / you use?
• Picking up the phone or sending out an email to other schemes either private, SGO or local authority, to have a dialogue that could help both parties. Think about the national picture, are you doing something amazing that could be shared to benefit all schemes?Closing statement
“Together we are stronger and can achieve a common goal, by closing the door on each other; we heighten the risk of losing the things we have worked so hard to build.” -
o The main questions raised at the 2014 conference were around quality assurance and retaining instructors.
o Go Velo was covered as a case study and the group discussed the lessons they had learnt along the way
o It was stressed that valuing and developing instructors was the most important cog in the wheel, when growing the scheme.
o When discussing mentoring and QA, lots of people asked how Go Velo could afford to do it and were interested in our procedures.
o Most of the delegates wanted to share their experience and hear how others dealt with similar situations.Any thoughts/questions?
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Application forms and further background about the conference are now available for download at: http://www.tabs-uk.org.uk/events/
Any thoughts/feedback welcome!
What workshop did you attend? Any comments/thoughts to share? Start a new conversation for your workshop