Is it a legal requirement for minibus drivers to have a MIDAS certificate?
The guidance regarding assessment and competence of minibus drivers is direct guidance from the DCSF. This has been adopted by Salford and has been written into our guidance. Schools opting not to comply with that guidance, would need to be able to justify the grounds on which that decision had been based. The actual wording from the DSCF states that ‘it is the Headteachers responsibility to ensure that minibus drivers are trained and assessed as competent in minibus driving and passenger management.’ The DCSF do not stipulate that authorities need to adopt MIDAS (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme) administered by the Community Transport Association. Indeed some authorities choose to recommend the ROSPA minibus training scheme. The important criteria is that the training and assessment is carried out by appropriately qualified and experienced trainers who are assessing competence against national criteria. The LA could not support the notion of colleagues training and assessing the compe
