St John Ambulance Conference

Background

AIRSO is the principal adviser to St John Ambulance with regard to their risk management and driving policies in respect of those who either drive St John Vehicles or drive their own vehicles on behalf of St John.

All St John Counties in England have a responsibility to ensure that they have a person designated to put into place procedures which assess and authorize those who are to drive St John Vehicles in accordance with National Guidelines. They must also take steps to ensure the management of all risks associated with those employees who need to drive as part of their work.

To support this process AIRSO arranges an annual conference for those who have this responsibility which includes those at a divisional level who have the responsibility for recommending those who are to drive vehicles and the issues surrounding the deployment of volunteers who are engaged in driving.

The St John Conferences are led by Graham Feest, the Secretary of AIRSO, himself an experienced Road Safety Practitioner and former Superintendent of St John Ambulance. In this capacity he also sits on the St John Commission for Transport.

Supporting the Development of the St John Driving Policy and other related issues is a group of AIRSO Members all of whom hold senior positions within St John throughout the country and have a responsibility for driving matters at a national or county level.

The Group comprises:

2009 Conference - DRIVING with St John

The 2009 conference, DRIVING with St John, was held on Saturday 16th May 2009 at the Hinckley Island Hotel, Leicester. The Conference focused on the new strategy document put together by the St John Policy Commission for Transport. Harry Dymond, Chief Commissioner (Operations) made an important input, describing how transport requirements for the future will be procured and used and the future of driver assessment and training.

The presentations from the 2009 Conference are available from our Conference Archives page.

The Driving with St John Conference is aimed at those who are responsible at divisional level for the initial selection of drivers and/or their deployment and those at a county level who have overall responsibility for implementing national policy in terms of approving those who are to drive St John vehicles. The Conference is also important to those who are managing the day to day activities of St John personnel who need to drive as part of their work whether on a voluntary basis or as employees of St John; those who manage Patient Transport Services; and those who have Line Management responsibilities for employed staff. It is also important to anyone involved in Health & Safety and Fleet Management within the organisation.