FAQ Level 3 Certificate in Emergency Response Ambulance Driving (CERAD ™ ) (Pathway 2)
This Qualification is offered for learners who will be driving Category B Ambulance Vehicles (also known as “Class 2” Ambulance Vehicles), Category B Ambulance Cars (also known as “Class 2” Ambulance Cars) and Category C1 Ambulance Vehicles (also known as “Class 3” Ambulance Vehicles)
About the course
This FutureQuals Level 3 Certificate in Emergency Response Ambulance Driving is the most widely recognised and accepted emergency response driving qualification for Pre-Hospital professionals with a responsibility to respond, such as Emergency Care Assistants (ECA), Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), Associate Ambulance Practitioner (AAP) or HCPC Paramedic in the NHS and private sectors.
Aimed at people who will be dispatched by an Ambulance Trust Emergency Operations Centre (Ambulance 999 control room) or those clinical staff providing ambulance services providing event medical services that have the risk of needing to transport patients so as not to put pressure on NHS ambulance resources for private events.
This qualification has 3 different pathways based on the vehicle type that the learner will be required to drive as part of their role.
The Awarding Organisation states :
“Successful completion of this qualification only authorises the Learner to drive at high speeds in the class of vehicle in which the qualification was delivered and assessed.
For Learners wishing to qualify on an additional pathway post-achievement of this qualification, they must be registered on, and achieve, the new pathway separately.”
Course entry requirements
Learners are required to evidence the following before they can be accepted on to the course:
Be 18 years of age (or older) (21 if using our vehicle)
Hold a valid driving licence for the full duration of the qualification
Learners must have a contract (or job offer) with an Ambulance Service (NHS/HSC or Private) that CQC regulated (or equivilent)
Learners are not required to have any formal qualifications in literacy or numeracy; however as a Level 3 Certificate qualification – learners will be expected to demonstrate an adequate level of written English (comparable to an a-level academic standard)
Learners are also expected to have access to a laptop and have basic IT skills as we use Microsoft Office 365 to facilitate elements of the course, course material and host your portfolio which you are required to complete.
Course content
Successful completion of the course meets the requirements for ambulance service drivers to claim exemptions under the road traffic legislation and to operate to the specification of the Road Traffic Regulations Act (exemptions for speed limit regulations)
Whilst guided learning hours with your facilitator are very “practical”, learners have a significant amount of knowledge to acquire. Even when ‘on-the-road’ facilitators will still be teaching theoretical and knowledge based aspects of the course a summary of topics are below:
- Complying with legislation and driving regulation
- Consequences of disregarding legislation and driving regulation
- Exemptions available for routine and emergency response ambulance driving
- Incident management
- Driving in a range of weather conditions
- Emergency response ambulance driver responsibilities
- Human factors that contribute to road traffic collisions
- Conflict situations
- Personal actions to reduce hostility
- Coping strategies used to combat the effects of stress
- Potential causes of decreased driver alertness
- Impact of fatigue during daylight hours and hours of darkness
- Techniques to use when affected by fatigue
- Anticipating and responding to behavioural changes of other drivers
- Managing confrontational behaviour
- Managing effects of stress
- Managing distractions from within the vehicle
- Ambulance vehicles within own organisation
- Ambulance vehicle daily inspections
- Legal requirements of a pre-driving ambulance VDI
- Pre-driving checks
- Reasons for performing a pre-driving check (PDC)
- Carrying out ambulance vehicle checks
- Reporting vehicle defects
- Driving economically and progressively
- Hand positioning and steering techniques
- Manual transmission, automatic transmission and electric vehicles
- Considerations for using brakes
- Tapered braking
- Static and mobile brake tests
- Braking technique and meeting the needs of the patient
- Advantages of acceleration sense
- Using acceleration sense
- The importance of smooth acceleration
- Maintaining passenger safety and vehicle stability
- Types and causes of skids
- Avoiding skids
- Electronic Stability Programme and ABS braking
- Safety aids and vehicle stability
- Passive safety aids and active safety aids
- Acting as a banksman
- Banksman requirements when reversing and manoeuvring
- Banksman signals
- Following the directions of a banksman
- Reversing and manoeuvring
- In-line, fend-in and fend-off positions
- Phases of the system of car control
- Advantages of the system of car control
- Types of hazards
- Taking, using and giving information
- Forward planning, anticipation and observation
- Using the phases of the system of car control
- Negotiating bends
- Factors to consider when approaching a bend
- The effect of vehicle condition and type on cornering
- Approaching and negotiating a bend
- Positioning when negotiating bends
- Adjusting speed in response to the limit point
- Legal requirements for overtaking and passing on the left
- Effects of ambulance vehicle performance on overtaking
- Factors to consider when overtaking whilst driving under routine conditions
- Factors to consider when overtaking whilst driving under emergency response conditions
- Identifying opportunities for overtaking
- Single-stage overtaking and three-stage overtaking
- Different types of roads
- Different types of motorways
- Procedure for breakdowns
- Different types of road furniture
- Traffic signs found in The Highway Code
- Signals found in The Highway Code
- Markings found in The Highway Code
- Situations requiring in-line, fend-in and fend off positions
- Anticipating speed of other vehicles
- Anticipating other drivers’ actions and behaviours
- Joining and exiting multi-lane carriageways
- Driving on multi-lane carriageways
- Preparation requirements for driving an ambulance vehicle during the hours of darkness
- Preparing an ambulance vehicle for driving during the hours of darkness
- Speed perception during the hours of darkness
- Dealing and managing dazzle from other road users’ lights
- Using emergency warning equipment during the hours of darkness
- Managing effects of fatigue
- Risk assessment process
- Factors to consider when claiming exemptions
- Justifying the use of exemptions
- Audible and visual warnings
- Using audible and visual warnings to facilitate safe progress
- Using emergency response ambulance vehicle exemptions
- Facilitating an emergency call reprioritisation
- Giving directional information to an ambulance driver
- Applying directional information from a colleague
- Using navigational aids
- Reflecting on own driving practice
How the course is assessed
Learners are assessed by formative and summative, assessments conducted by your facilitator, an independent assessor and online electronic exams taken under exam conditions.
Formative Assessments:
Formative assessments are an ongoing, overall observation of your skills, abilities, attitudes and working practices; this is done by your facilitator throughout the course to ensure that you have the right attributes appropriate to the role.
Even if you pass all assessments, you still need to demonstrate to your facilitator that you are responsible and capable of the role, otherwise you could still be referred
Summative Assessments:
Summative assessments are final assessments of skills where you have opportunity to demonstrate to your facilitator that you have learned the required knowledge, either by demonstrating activities such as:
- Vehicle Daily Inspection
- Pre Driving Checks
- Reversing and Maneuvering
- Route Planning
- Night Driving
- Emergency Call re-prioritisation
Invigilated Exams:
There are three multiple choice question examinations conducted under exam conditions throughout the course including
- Traffic Signs, Road and Vehicle Markings (MCQ 1)
- Theory before on road training at speed (MCQ 2)
- Legislation, Highway Code and Roadcraft (MCQ 3)
Final Independent Driving Assessment
Once you have completed the course requirements; a final driving assessment is undertaken by an independent driving examiner.
This lasts for (at a minimum) an hour, and covers both routine and emergency response driving, where your driving standards are observed throughout, across various types of roads, including urban, rural, city centre and motorway / multi-lane roads.
Much like a normal driving test, the examiner will only provide directions and when you have received your emergency call, or stood down from your emergency call.
What your course fees cover
You are not paying for a certificate or qualification, your course fee does not entitle you automatically to a qualification or certificate
Your course fees allow you to access and participate on a course of study that may lead to the achievement of a qualification at the end. Whether this happens or not depends on you successfully achieving the assessment criteria laid out in the qualification specification. Your course fees cover the following:
- Access to 120 guided learning hours on the course with one of our facilitators
- Registration fee with the Awarding Organisation (FutureQuals)
- One attempt at each Multiple-Choice Question Paper (MCQ) as timetabled
- Two submissions for the review of written work products (including diaries)
- Assessment and sign off of your portfolio (By Group or Cohort) *
- Quality Assurance of your portfolio (By Group or Cohort) *
- Electronic Certificate (E-Certificate)
For the duration of your qualification you will have access to our Microsoft Office 365 platform which will provide you with:
- Office 365 Licence:
- Access to online versions of the Microsoft Office Suite
- Access to your Portfolio
- Access to Electronic course materials (Textbooks etc)
Certification
Successful learners will receive a Regulated FutureQuals Level 3 Certificate in Emergency Response Ambulance Driving (RQF) e-Certificate.
Certifcates can be validated on the FutreQuals Website here.
England
Northern Ireland
Course Summary:
Type
Regulated RQF Qualification
Delivery:
Classroom / Blended / On The Road
Guided Learning Hours (GLH):
120 hours
Total Qualification Time (TQT)
150 hours
Certificate Validity:
The qualification remains valid provided you evidence regular periodic training, and have you driving standards observed in line with legislative requirements
Course Delivery Options
Full Time:
3 Weeks
Monday – Friday
Mixture of classroom and practical driving.
Part Time:
5 weekends
Friday Evening – Online Live Theory (MSTeams)
Saturday & Sunday Practical Driving.
Bespoke:
If your availability doesn’t fit into the options above, we can schedule courses to suit a group.
Chat to us about your requirements and we can devise a schedule to suit your group and their availability.
