We were honoured to be invited to the House of Lords to be part of the launch of the Powered Wheelchair and Mobility Scooter Training Scheme with Baroness Grey-Thompson.
Driving Mobility are being supported by the Department for Transport to provide training in basic assessment skills for PWMS equipment retailers. This is to ensure that anyone purchasing mobility equipment has the skills and confidence to use it safely.
Supported by the Department for Transport, the national charity Driving Mobility is introducing a new customer assessment and safety training scheme for retailers of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs.
The PWMS Retailer Training Scheme will be officially launched at an event in Westminster during June. Attendees will include mobility product retailers, manufacturers and stakeholders from across the industry who will meet with ministers and dignitaries to launch the nationwide roll out of this new scheme.
Following a successful pilot in 2021, this voluntary training scheme aims to improve how retailers assess the needs and capabilities of customers so that the most appropriate mobility scooters and powerchairs are supplied. In addition, suppliers will learn how to provide suitable on and off road safety guidance with a view to vehicle owners driving more considerately and competently. Currently there is no standardised process for assessing customer needs and coupled with grey areas of legislation regarding use of Class 2 and 3 mobility vehicles, the need for a consistent approach is more evident than ever before. With the help of Government funding and complementing its Inclusive Strategy, the certified educational programme is being delivered by Driving Mobility.
Driving Mobility accredit over 20 driving and mobility assessment centres across the UK for self-referring clients and those signposted from the DVLA, Motability, NHS and Police. Its team of Occupational Therapists, clinically assess clients with restricted mobility so they can gain or retain independence through assisted driving, mobility equipment or accessible transport options. These healthcare professionals will be providing the PWMS training which consists of online learning and practical workshops at selected Driving Mobility Centres. Once completed, retailers will be able to display official accreditation to give confidence to consumers that they are purchasing from a creditable supplier who will only provide the most suitable product and safety advice.
Edward Trewhella, CEO, Driving Mobility, comments: “By receiving this employee training, mobility retailer staff will be more knowledgeable, confident and end users will benefit from a better, safer ownership experience. I encourage all mobility retailers to sign up for this free training to not only benefit from official accreditation, but to steer future safety legislation from the Government. This will not be a barrier to customer purchases, in fact, it will be the exact opposite as your enhanced support of customers will lead to more recommendations.”
Roads and Accessibility Minister Richard Holden said: “It’s really important that we improve road safety for everyone, including owners of powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters. This scheme, supported by Government, will help to ensure that people with restricted mobility can get around independently and confidently by training users, and I’m pleased to support it through our funding.”
The training is completely free of charge and can be accessed by emailing info@drivingmobility.org.uk or visiting https://www.drivingmobility.org.uk/…/pwms-retailer…/
