Surrey Heath Borough Council (SHBC) is considering introducing compulsory safeguarding training for all taxi drivers. The move is part of its plan to help tackle child sexual exploitation (CSE). It’s hoped that with an enhanced knowledge and understanding of what to look for and how to report concerns, taxi drivers in the borough could play a vital role in helping to protect children who are vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking.
“There’s a responsibility . . . to ensure that licensed drivers are aware of the warning signs.”
The proposal has been scheduled for discussion by SHBC’s licensing committee in March and, if passed, training could become a requirement for all current Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers with immediate effect. It could also become an essential part of the job application process for anyone who wants to become a licensed driver.
The meeting’s agenda states: “There’s a responsibility, on local authorities, private hire operators and individual taxi drivers to ensure that licensed drivers are aware of the warning signs that could indicate when a passenger is at risk of trafficking or CSE.”
If the scheme is agreed, a six-week consultation period with the taxi and private hire trade will take place. This will then be followed by a review by the council’s licensing committee in June.
How Can Taxi Drivers Help?
The proposal for compulsory training is a reaction to the recent high profile cases of child sexual exploitation, including the highly publicised case in Rotherham where an estimated 1,400 children were abused over several years.
Varied reports into recent high profile CSE cases have found that abusers often use taxis and private hire vehicles to move their victims. Given their position within the community, taxi and private hire vehicle drivers can play a pivotal role in safeguarding children or vulnerable people at risk of abuse. The training is intended to help drivers to spot signs of abuse, such as regularly dropping children at an address that isn’t their home.
Tackling The Issue Head On
In July 2015 and February 2017, Surrey Police invited all Hackney Carriage and Private Hire drivers to attend a safeguarding training course. Building on this, Surrey Heath Borough Council is aiming to further improve safety for all passengers by making this training compulsory.
Surrey Heath is not the only council to take steps towards mandatory safeguarding training for taxi drivers. In November 2016, West Norfolk Council announced that safeguarding training would be an essential component to licence awards and renewals. Cambridge City Council has also followed suit, announcing that the training would become mandatory in January this year.
Other councils across the UK that insist on the same training include Wolverhampton, Barnsley, Poole and Sedgemoor, although in some cases training is only a requirement for new licence applications.