Set up a Driver CPC training centre

How to set up a centre

You must get approval to run Driver CPC periodic training courses.

1. Apply for approval for your training centre - this lasts for 5 years.

2. Apply for approval for each course that you want to run - this lasts for one year.

You can apply for both at the same time, but the courses won’t be approved until your centre is.

When you apply, you need to give proof that your organisation will operate in a professional and consistent way.

Responsibility for Driver CPC

Driver CPC is handled by the:

• Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in Great Britain
• Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Northern Ireland

They both use the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT) to help approve and monitor centres and courses.

Apply for centre approval

To apply to get your centre approved, you need to send:

• a centre approval application form
• a ‘scheme of control’ (this sets out how you’ll make sure you provide high-quality training)
• other supporting documents
• the fee of £1,500

Check the JAUPT driver CPC training centre appraisal criteria before you fill in the application form.

Application for training centre approval

PDF, 267 KB, 8 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible formatformat.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email gov.uk.publishing@dvsa.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Send these to:

You can pay the fee by:

• credit or debit card
• cheque made payable to ‘DVSA’
• postal order
• BACS

You can:

• refer to your organisation’s ‘scheme of control’
• attach extra documents including supporting statements

How long it takes

Your application will:

• usually be dealt with in 15 working days
• be delayed if you don’t include all the right information

You might be asked to send extra information. You should do this within 30 working days if you’re asked to.

Scheme of control

You need to complete a scheme of control. This is the way your organisation will make sure the training it provides is to a high standard all the time.

It needs to give examples of what you’ll do to reduce risk in these areas of providing Driver CPC training:

• operation
• trainer selection
• course plans
• driver registration
• course consistency
• course evaluation
• issuing certificates of attendance
• uploading training records
• where associations are in charge of 2 or more organisations

A scheme of control should include:

• copies of evaluation reports by external or internal assessors
• quality control monitoring of training provided
• procedures for telling JAUPT about planned periodic training courses
• a record of management checks

Download a scheme of control template.

Scheme of control (template)

ODT, 9.09 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

You can download an example scheme of control to see the sorts of controls you can put in place.

Scheme of control (guidance notes)

PDF, 114 KB, 2 pages

Apply as a consortium of 2 or more organisations

You can set up a consortium of 2 or more organisations to provide Driver CPC training.

The consortium leader from one organisation has to apply to set up the consortium. They must give proof that all its organisations follow the approval conditions.

Consortium leader’s responsibility

As the consortium leader, you’re responsible:

• for all the consortium members providing training for you
• if the training falls short of the standard required

Your whole consortium can have its approval withdrawn if any part of it doesn’t meet the standard required.

How to apply

You apply in the same way as a single organisation, but you’ll also need to give:

• details of your arrangements to provide multi-site training
• proof that the arrangements are effective in the scheme of control

Apply for course approval

To apply to get your course approved, you need to send:

• a course approval application form
• a course summary
• information about your trainers, their qualifications and experience
• the fee of £36 per hour of course length (such as £252 for a 7-hour course)

Courses containing a half-hour are rounded up to a full hour when working out the fee.

For modular courses, you’re charged for the total amount of time your modules add up to. It will be rounded up to a full hour if the total time is part of an hour.

You can pay the fee by:

• credit or debit card
• cheque made payable to ‘DVSA’
• postal order
• BACS

Check the Driver CPC course appraisal criteria (PDF, 422 KB, 17 pages) before you fill in the application form.

Application for training course approval

PDF, 328305 KB, 6 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible formatformat.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email gov.uk.publishing@dvsa.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Your application will:

• usually be dealt with in 15 working days
• be delayed if you don’t include all the right information

You might be asked to send extra information. You should do this within 30 working days if you’re asked to.

Course summary

You must send a course summary. This is a breakdown of the course content which shows:

• a list of all parts of the course with references to the relevant parts of the Driver CPC syllabus
• the length in minutes of each part
• the length of breaks and lunch (these won’t count as training time)
• the title, length and a written summary of the main points of any DVD used
• the delivery method either classroom or practical
• details of contingency planning
• details of the end of day summary/course evaluation sessions
• a list of resources eg:
  • classroom size
  • vehicle
  • audio visual
  • IT equipment

Download an example course summary which shows how to fill it in.

Course summary (example)

ODT, 16.4 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

Your trainers and their qualifications and experience

You need to send:

• the number of trainers for each course, and a list of their names
• the qualifications and experience of all your trainers including:
• photocopies of training qualifications
  • testimonials
  • references

Also include details of:

• the number of trainees on each course
• the identity checks for trainees before any training session
• the checks on the current licence entitlement of trainees before any training session

Modular courses

You can apply to run modular courses.

You can deliver modules in any combination to make a 7-hour course.

You can still spilt a course into 2 parts, with each part being taken on consecutive days.

All the individual modules in a course must be approved at the same time and can’t be added to later.

1. Send a separate application for each module.

2. Send an application for the modular course as a whole.

You don’t need to include trainer information or a course summary for the overall modular application. These will be included with each module application.

Being monitored when you’re approved

Your courses and your centre will audited when you’re approved. This is to make sure that you’re keeping to the right standard.

Course audits

Your courses can be audited without you being given notice. This is to make sure courses are being run correctly.

The auditors will mainly look at:

• your procedures for checking the identity of drivers
• your attendance registers
• whether a fair processing notice is issued
• whether the course is being delivered in line to the approval layout
• the course duration
• quality and delivery of training

Send this information to feedback@jaupt.org.uk so your centre and courses can be monitored effectively:

• an up-to-date training schedule
• changes of where and when you will be running training courses

Centre audits

JAUPT will audit your centre at least once within the first year of your approval. Your centre can be audited more than once during your 5-year approval.

JAUPT could inspect:

• centre documents like training delivery records
• evidence of compliance for every site used
• information held on trainers’ qualifications and fields of expertise
• resources used to deliver the training courses:
  • premises
  • training materials
  • information on vehicle fleets
• procedures for uploading training hours to the recording and evidencing database, including password control
• that you comply with statements in your application and details in your scheme of control

DVSA and DVA can also audit your records.

Having your approval suspended or withdrawn

A consortium can have its approval suspended or withdrawn if a single member doesn’t follow the approval conditions.

Appeal against suspension or withdrawal of your approval

You can appeal to DVSA within 28 days if you’re told that your centre or course approval might be suspended or withdrawn.

Your appeal will be taken into account and you’ll be told the decision.

You can appeal to the General Regulatory Chamber if you disagree with the decision.