Coaching and the Client

Today I stumbled across a website specifically aimed at driving instructors, as most of my students and clients know I run a driving school and I am a practising life and executive coach, so my experience is as varied as the people I meet everyday.

The website claims, 'with the advent of the new check test and it's heavy reliance on coaching or client centred approaches I have developed courses to help you become ready for the 21st century' surely nobody actually falls for this sort of unrealistic claim, it actually leads other instructors into believing that this one ADI knows more than anyone else about coaching and client centred learning.

The DSA is quite clear about the fact that client centred learning is about giving the customer what they want, coaching is not a teaching tool and the evidence supports that coaching for the novice, be it driving or sky diving is not the way forward. The DSA recognise this and are not looking for coaching, their modernisation is a less restrictive approach to teaching and learning not an overhaul of the current system.

For the cynic amongst us, by incorporating the fleet check test and the ADI check test it is a smoother path for independent examiners to replace the civil servants who currently oversee the work of the driver trainer. By introducing a customer friendly service by the ADI, the standards that examiners will seek are the same as within any organisation or business that serves the public. As role play will not be an option it opens the door for any private sector service provider to tender. There is a whisper that the DSA will offer training to the private sector for testing, to coincide with their accreditation of courses, this will include driver trainer courses and see the end of the ORDIT registration, as this will no longer be needed.

The standard check forms that are being revised are point scores, so clearly designed by the private sector for ease of use.

This myth about coaching being CCL, quite apart from the rejection of this by the DSA, is quite ridiculous as not one person who is a coach, life or executive will recognise or refer to CCL.  The coach does not teach. The DSA have referred to the coaching chapter in the NDRS document as not being relevant, this supports the statement from the ERSC, and the fact that HERMES 2 was in 2010 and further developments have taken place since then.

So how does one person working for a national school but advertising themselves as an expert in the future of the check test justify scaremongering amongst those that don't want to be left behind.  In the case of all Government parties, it is better to just wait and see.  Having written to two ministers and having two completely different replies, I can't see that there is anything definite on the table.

As the DFT is to become the DFTandF we are in year one of a ten year programme to reform the back office and for the injection of private sector money, the NHS reforms and the fact that the NHS is also to be fed private money leaves the UK over a barrel, a very deep one.


copyright A.Green 2013 no extracts or reproduction of this blog without express permission of the author