Aspire Parking Solutions has a vacancy for a vehicle immobiliser.  Preferably SIA licenced and with experience, but will consider if your licence is being processed.   They may also consider providing training for the right candidate.

If you would like to apply please do so by email to Anthony Charles at aspireparkingsolutions@yahoo.co.uk.  If you have no access to email then you can call on 0208 854 7229.

beSmart Training is solely a training company and does not recommend or endorse any company who provides parking and/or immobilisation services.  beSmart Training has no control over services/employment provided by other companys.

Ray Massey from the Mail Online reports today: Cowboy clamping companies that fleece motorists through ‘legalised mugging’ have failed to clean up their act and will now be rooted out, parking bosses will be told today by ministers and motoring champions.

Transport Minister Sadiq Khan will warn vehicle immobilisation firms to their face that the days of ‘disreputable operators’ ripping off motorists are over and that the Government intends to ‘root out the rogues, combat the cowboys, banish the bullies and put a stop to their wholly unacceptable activities for good’.

And AA president Edmund King will tell delegates to a special ’summit’ of the British Parking Association that they are in the ‘last chance saloon’ noting: ‘You have had your chance to clean up your act but have failed.

‘Self-regulation has failed.  We have reached the end of the road on reining in the antics of unscrupulous wheel clampers whose immoral excesses are reported to us almost daily.’

The broadside comes in the wake of  a notable victory for the Daily Mail after ministers  pledged to back a four-point  initiative by this newspaper to crack down on the unregulated cowboys  whose antics in England and Wales have been condemned as ‘legalised mugging.’

In Scotland clamping on private land is outlawed as ‘extortion and theft’.

The AA Mr King will tell delegates that the problem is not just a few isolated one-man band clampers, but that ’several of the established’ companies who are themselves members of the 650-strong British Parking Association are also failing to abide by their own code of practice.

He says a 64 per cent rise in clamping over the last 12 month is down in part to the fact that  many are trying to ‘cash in’ now before tougher regulation drives them out of business: ‘The dramatic increase in clamping is due to the fact that the cowboys know they are drinking in the last chance saloon and are trying to cash in before regulation drives them out of town.’

Attacking the ‘bully boy’  tactics of unregulated clampers imposing unfair and ‘draconian’ punishments,  Mr King says parking firms and clampers have wasted a chance to clean up their act – because many have refused to do so.

Mr King will tell the London conference of the  British Parking Association  which represents 650 members: ‘You have had your chance to clean up your act but have failed. It is not just the one-man band clampers that are out of order but several of the established companies. Self-regulation has failed. ‘

The AA has told the Home Office that their proposed new regulations on clamping  will fail without an independent regulator and independent appeals process.

The AA highlights has compiled from complaints a catalogue of ‘cowboy’ clamper tactics including:

* Parking decoy cars to ‘encourage’ people to park
* Hiding signs by parking the clamp van in front of them
* Making up and adding extra charges such as ‘tow truck called’ fee, swear box fee, ‘police called nuisance fee’
* Clamping drivers still in the vehicle who have pulled over to check a map or make a phone call
* Deliberately targeting ‘vulnerable’ motorists

Motorists deserved a fair and proportionate response to minor breaches of rules ‘rather than extortion, threats and profiteering,’ he says.

Penalties and appeals for off-street parking should be similar to those for on-street infringements and demanded an independent appeal against a clamp, removal or ticket.

Mr King noted: ‘We have reached the end of the road on reining in the antics of unscrupulous wheel clampers whose immoral excesses are reported to us almost daily.  Licensing has not worked as, in many cases, it has simply legalised the cowboys.’

He cites charging pensioners £370 to recover their car after a minor parking error or leaving an 18-year-old female alone overnight in a city because her car was taken and not given back until the next day.

Mr King will tell  parking delegate that ‘toothless’  licensing of the industry in 2005 became a ‘licence to print money’ for many.

‘Some ever resourceful rogue clampers often tacked on spurious charges, even having the audacity to impose extra ones for calling the police or swearing.’

Clampers routinely charge a clamping release fee and removal charge taking the cost to  more than £500  – even if a tow away never takes place.

If the Government’s planned crackdown does not work then clamping on private land should be outlawed as it was in Scotland in 1992.

Mr King highlighted a report by insurer LV which said the number of motorists who have been wheelclamped has risen by 64 per cent in the last 12 months with private clamping firms taking £58million.

In response to  the scale of the scandal unveiled by a Daily Mail investigation last month, Home Office Alan Campbell, responsible for drawing up new legislation to crackdown on abuses, agreed to act on the Mail’s four-point action plan to:

* limit the size of penalties dished out by firms
* regulate towing practices
* put in place an effective and fair appeals process

He is currently thrashing out with civil servants the means of making such an appeal system fully independent.

Ministers are also investigating ways to curb the incentives given to clamping firms by land owners, which has seen clampers offering to work for free for  landowners- paying them a £50-per-car bounty for each one clamped.

But Transport Minister Sadiq Khan has already said that the Government’s aim would be to make the appeals system ‘independent’.

Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said: “We are currently looking to introduce a compulsory licensing scheme for all wheelclamping businesses.

‘We need to limit the size of penalties dished out by firms, regulate towing practices and put in place an effective and fair appeals process. Alongside this, we will also look at the issue of incentives given to clamping firms by land-owners.’

The Home Office is to publish of draft legislation in the Policing, Crime and Private Security Bill in the Queen’s Speech on November 18.

Even the British Parking Association said it recognised weaknesses in the current regime.

A spokesman said: ‘The British Parking Association, which has an Code of Practice for its members, has been calling for and would welcome legislation that improves standards and fairness within the parking industry, and in particular that calls time on the cowboys.’

Chief executive Patrick Troy added: ‘We are confident that the majority of people around the table have the same aim as us – to ensure parking is regulated in a fair and transparent way.

‘This is the reason why the British Parking Association called the summit – with all attending looking forward and working together to generate ideas and find solutions to make parking fairer for all.’

Training and licensing for individuals who actually do the clamping has been a legal requirement for several years.  beSmart Training regularly runs courses for individuals who wish to get a Security Industry Authority License for vehicle immobilisation.  The licence allows individuals to clamp, immobilise, block or tow vehicles who contravene parking regulations on private land.   Please go to our website for more information.

The laws regarding training for first aid at work change on Thursday (1st October 2009).

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have introduced the biggest change to The Health and Safety (First Aid) at Regulations laws since they were introduced in 1982.

The update could save UK businesses millions of pounds.

The biggest change is to the mandatory four day course, now reduced to three days, and the introduction the  Emergency First Aid at Work course, a new one day course option designed for small businesses .

The new guidelines were produced on the back of consultation with employers across the UK, who understood the need for first-aid training but found it difficult to release employees for the four days needed.

You can read more about the new First Aid legislation and employers legal duties on the HSE website.

Peter says…

This is an excellent change that will save businesses (especially small businesses) time and money without compromising on health and safety.

More importantly, this new guidance could even lead to safer workplaces, as it recommends that trained first aiders undertake a three hour refresher training session every year. 

The new three day FAW (First Aid at Work) training course will have less impact on businesses, but will still deliver the same key skills taught under the old system.

An excellent idea for ensuring those skills are retained.
beSmart Training offer both the three-day First Aid at Work course and the one-day Emergency First Aid at Work course. 

Click here for the latest course dates or call on 020 7237 6007 and speak to Sue.

A CAR clamping boss claims a ban on private clampers would lead to “anarchy and chaos”.

Tony Fithon, managing director of Colchester clamping firm, Impact Security Services, says AA calls for a ban are unnecessary and would leave the police and other authorities under pressure.

“The big problem is that there is no ceiling on what you can charge to release a clamped car.  If the Government put a limit in place, all these problems would go away.”  said Tony Fithon, of clamping firm, Impact Security Services

The motoring organisation has condemned unregulated private clamping firms as “immoral” and is urging the Government to ban them.

But Mr Fithon said: “Wheel clamping plays an important part in the overall security of the UK.

“If you took the traffic wardens off the streets, there would be chaos and anarchy and it is exactly the same with car clamping. The police would have anarchy in the UK.”

He added: “The big problem is that there is no ceiling on what you can charge to release a clamped car.

“If the Government put a limit in place, all these problems would go away.”

The AA says some unscrupulous companies are charging as much as £500 to release vehicles.

It also believes it is too easy for people to get access to Government records of car owners’ details, allowing almost anyone to set up a car clamping business.

Paul Watters from the AA said: “The lure of uncontrolled money-raking is so great some companies even offer DIY packs, with signs clampers can print off the internet.

“The public has absolutely no protection if a private parking firm acts unfairly, as it is a civil matter and no one is interested in helping.”

Essex University recently backed down in a row with students, hundreds of whose cars were clamped by Woodlund Services, which then demanded £50 to release them. In the end, the university agreed instead of clamping, drivers would simply be given a penalty notice, warning cars were liable to be clamped in future.

The Government has promised legislation regulating clampers will be introduced in 2010.

All vehicle immobilisers who clamp or tow vehicles on private land must be licensed by the Security Industry Authority.  To get licensed they must pass two examinations which cover current legislation, good practice and conflict management, and have a criminal record check.  beSmart Training run these courses every month at their London training centre.  Go to our website at www.besmart-training.co.uk for more details.

I was lucky enough to attend the BTEC Security Forum last week which was hosted by Edexcel.  An interesting meeting at which Tony Holyland from the SIA announced some very interesting information about forthcoming changes to the SIA training.

Over the past year or so there has been much speculation and rumour flying around on what the SIA will change about security training.

Well, it would seem, quite alot actually.  Having now collated and evaluated all the consultation documentation they are going to make some drastic changes and totally change the whole training set-up.

What has been announced, and in no really great detail, is that the training will be broken down into various units depending on what area of security you wish to work in.

To try to explain simply, there will be one core competency unit which is compulsory for those who wish to get a Security Guard, Door Supervisor, Vehicle Immobiliser (wheel clamping), CCTV or Cash and Valuables in Transit Licence.  You will then have to take a sector specific unit depending on what area you wish to specialise in.  You will, if you want to do Door Supervision, Security Guarding or Vehicle Immobilisation also then have to do a further unit in conflict management.

There have been many changes within the sector specific areas too, mostly, however, within door supervision.  There will be Physical Intervention, although in what form is not clear at this time.  There will be more about first aid, although again it is not clear how, but will not detract from the legal obligation to provide adequate first aid trained staff in venues.  There will be more training on anti-terrorism and the hostile reconnaissance factor.

It has been announced that the Door Supervisor Licence will still be accepted for Security Guarding because although there are significant changes it was felt that it still mapped across sufficiently.

beSmart offers certificated physical intervention courses which are endorsed by the SIA and ACPO, as well as SIA approved training courses on a regular basis.  For more information, please visit our website.  If what you’re looking for is not there, please don’t hesitate to call Sue on 0207 237 6007.