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MiDAS Frequently Asked Questions
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CTA is working in partnership with Hampshire County Council (the original developers of MiDAS) to modernise the MiDAS offering. This will ensure MiDAS offers modern, flexible, and passenger-focused training while retaining all the strengths of the existing training programme by using the most up-to-date tools and technology.
Our editorial board of MiDAS experts and representatives from across the sector, have fed into what the new MiDAS Standard Minibus training content should include; this content has now been signed off and is with training design experts to develop into an e-learning course. We will be launching the updated MiDAS Standard Minibus training course on the 2nd January 2024.
Learn how we are modernising MiDAS in 3 minutes
Below we have answered some of the most frequently asked questions we have received about the transformation. Please note that these answers relate to MiDAS being delivered outside of Hampshire County Council area; any questions relating to MiDAS within HCC, please contact midas@hants.gov.uk. If you have any further questions for CTA, please email training@ctauk.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will the new MiDAS Standard course be delivered?
You can find out more about how MiDAS courses will be delivered, here.
What is the plan for new DAT training and DAT refresher training?
To facilitate the changes to MiDAS, we will be extending all current DAT certificates expiring between 1st Oct 2023 and 31st March 2024. It will not be possible to train as a new DAT after 1st October 2023. We will be sharing more about the new induction and refresher training which will be available for DATs in the coming months.
DAT certificate expiry date:
Extension until:
2nd October 2023 to 1st January 2024 (Quarter 3 of the financial year)
An extension to 1st April 2024 (Quarter 1 of the financial year)
2nd January 2024 to 1st April 2024 (Quarter 4 of the financial year)
An extension to 1st July 2024 (Quarter 2 of the financial year)
What about Driver Refresher training?
As the content and format of MiDAS is changing, from 2nd January 2024 the course will be the same for all drivers and everyone will need to complete the online learning.
Will the new course mean that more time is required to deliver MiDAS?
In short, no. The time that would have been spent delivering a classroom-based theory session can now be spent working individually with drivers. It is recommended that the Individual Practical Session and Driving Assessment lasts up to 90 minutes for each driver. As an example, training 6 drivers would consist of 9 hours of DAT time, which is similar to the amount of time it would take using the current model.
How much will CTA be charging for the MiDAS theory online?
Access to the online training will be £40 per driver. This price includes 4 years of access to the CTA online learning system, which includes:
- Continued access to the online theory course so drivers can revisit it at anytime.
- Access to a digital certificate which can be downloaded at anytime.
- Access to a range of resources which will be regularly updated.
- Notifications of important changes to guidance or legislation.
- Automatic reminders of when refresher training is required.
There will also no longer be a requirement to purchase paper certificates or handbooks. You can find out more, here.
How will people who want to undertake MiDAS training book onto a course?
Organising MiDAS courses will still be done directly though MiDAS Providers as it always has been.
- If you are an organisation wanting to access MiDAS for your Drivers, you can find out more, here.
- If you are an organisation providing MiDAS, you can find out more, here.
What happens following the Individual Practical Session and Driving Assessment?
Following the driving assessment, the MiDAS provider will need to log in to the online system to submit the results. There will no longer be a need to return paper certificates to CTA, cutting down on the admin time. Once the results have been submitted, the driver will be notified their certificate is ready and they’ll be able to log in to provide feedback and download their certificate.
MiDAS providers will be able to access the record of all the certificates they’ve issued, which will help them to keep track of when drivers are due for a refresher.
What about Accessible MiDAS?
Accessible MiDAS will continue to work in the same way as it does currently with a classroom-based theory session followed by a practical session. The only difference will be that when a Training Provider accesses our online system to submit the Driving Assessment results, they will also submit the results of a driver’s Practical Skills Assessment. This will then generate an Accessible MiDAS certificate for the driver to download.
Working with Hampshire County Council and in consultation with the sector, the next phase of the MiDAS transformation will be to the other products under the MiDAS umbrella starting in 2024, including MiDAS Accessible, PATs, Car & MPV and 5 Steps to safety.
What about drivers who struggle with computers or drivers who have additional learning needs or disabilities?
We are committed to ensuring that the online training is as accessible and supportive as possible. Our expert training designers are ensuring that the online learning is easy to navigate, uses clear and concise language. Support and guidance will be available to MiDAS providers to ensure that they can meet the needs of all drivers. Find out more, here.
How will MiDAS providers and Driver Assessors find out about how to use the online system?
You can find out more about how to use the new online system, here.