Driving Change: The Future of MiDAS Accessible and PATS

When it comes to transporting passengers, MiDAS is the gold standard for ensuring that drivers and passenger assistants can deliver safe, legal and comfortable journeys. Under the MiDAS umbrella, there are a number of schemes, ensuring that there is a nationally recognised standard for those with driving, care or supervision responsibilities.

Last year we successfully launched the first phase of a new MiDAS offering following consistent feedback that MiDAS needed to modernise so that it could continue representing best practice and meet the needs of stakeholders. In partnership with Hampshire County Council and the stakeholders from across the sector, we worked to reimagine the MiDAS Standard course, placing an emphasis on safety, ensuring it offers up-to-date, flexible, responsive, and passenger-focused training. Since the launch, nearly 20,000 drivers have completed MiDAS with 100% stating they feel confident driving a minibus following the course and 97% saying that they would recommend MiDAS to a friend or colleague.

Our focus has now turned to two other courses under the MiDAS umbrella; MiDAS Accessible and Passenger Assistant Training Scheme (PATS). These courses focus on passenger support, equipping drivers and passenger assistants with essential skills to ensure that every passenger can travel with comfort and confidence. Our goal is to ensure that these courses build on the success of MiDAS Standard, ensuring that the content, delivery model and quality assurance systems continue representing the gold standard. We have been working with Disabled People’s Organisations, experts from across the sector, and consulting with key stakeholders to ensure that the new offering has the voices of disabled people at the centre, placing an emphasis empowering drivers and passenger assistants to feel confident in their roles.

Key highlights to look forward to

✔️ Passenger centred content  

Learners will be able to hear directly from disabled passengers about their experiences, the barriers they face, and the essential difference that drivers can make whilst travelling. This emphasis on passengers aims to help drivers to feel more comfortable communicating and supporting every passenger regardless of their needs.

✔️ Updated delivery method

Following the success of the MiDAS Standard online theory course, the classroom-based theory session for MiDAS Accessible and PATS will move to an online eLearning module. This will support with standardisation, ensuring that all learners receive the essential course content which they’re also able to refer back to. As with MiDAS Standard, the face to face element of the course will remain an essential part. Learners will still attend a practical session where they can ask questions and practice using specialist equipment before completing a practical assessment.

✔️ Clearer guidance on how to safely transport passengers who travel in their wheelchairs

When transporting passengers seated in wheelchairs, learners may come across a wide range of wheelchairs. There’s been a trend in recent years with wheelchairs becoming larger and heavier and powered wheelchairs becoming more common. It may not always be possible to follow the general guidance that is available. That’s why it’s essential that learners understand the key principles of risk management and how they can apply their knowledge to different scenarios.

To help inform the updated guidance, we'd love to understand the challenges which you come across when delivering PATS or through your role as an operator.

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✔️ New instructional videos

As part of a driver or passenger assistant’s role, they can be required to use specialist equipment such as passenger lifts and wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint systems. Learners will be taken through the use of this equipment as part of the practical session, but will also be able to access videos at anytime to refer back to.

✔️Greater synergy between MiDAS Accessible and PATS

Currently MiDAS Accessible and PATS overlap significantly which can be confusing and frustrating for people with dual roles. By streamlining the courses, updates can be implemented simultaneously while maintaining the integrity of both programs and ensuring that the content is tailored to each specific role.

What’s next?

The updated MiDAS Accessible course will be launching this summer. MiDAS Learner Passes will remain the same price regardless of whether or not a driver is completing Standard or Accessible. Any learner who has already been issued with an Accessible Learner Pass will automatically get access to the new eLearning content following the launch so learners will not miss out if they complete the old delivery model. PATS will be launching later in the year.  

By placing disabled voices at the heart of the training, introducing interactive eLearning, and refining practical assessments, we’re ensuring that MiDAS can equip drivers and passenger assistants with have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to provide truly accessible transport, empowering them to make every journey safer.

Stay tuned for more updates!