Annual Review 2008 - QEF

MOBILITY CENTRE6“I lost both legs and one arm whilst serving inAfghanistan. I wanted to drive - but on my terms –in a car – not from a wheelchair. Otherwise, frankly,I didn’t want to know. The assessors were great.They listened, ran a battery of tests, declared mesafe to drive and recommended the necessary caradaptations. Fantastic!” Royal Marine, MarkThe Mobility Centre enabled Mark to regain the freedom andindependence of driving. That is our focus – our expertise. At its coreare the initial assessments which establish the level of driving abilityand determine the adaptations necessary to get someone on theroad, or enable them to resume driving.Our Driving School offers all the necessary support. Equipped with aprivate track, tuition is available for under-age, first-time drivers andthose returning after an accident or illness. Under expert guidance theycan learn from scratch, regain theirdriving confidence or retrain tobecome familiar with caradaptations in a supportiveenvironment. Recommendations forpassenger transfer, wheelchair andscooter needs are also offered,each solution focusing on achievingthe greatest possible independence.Our commitment to sharing ourexpertise and ‘training the trainers’is only exceeded by the demandProviding privacy and reassurance, theCentre has its own driving track.for our courses. We offer in-house training for Approved DrivingInstructors in teaching disabled people to drive. Building on thesuccess of these we now hold regional courses in the UK and abroad.The Centre is continually improving its efficiency. Our recent operationalreview has resulted in a more cost effective service provision. We havesignificantly exceeded the Department of Transport targets forassessments, and continue to answer over 5,000 telephone enquiriesfor mobility related information every year. We are actively exploringother opportunities to grow our skills and expertise.