It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club!
The second in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is an After Work Drinks event on February 23 from 5.30pm. Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district, get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.
Karen Crampton, a live-in carer at Carefound Home Care in Harrogate, has received the home’s PLATO award for her work with dementia sufferers.
The PLATO award is named after the company’s values – personalised, local, accountable, together and outstanding.
Karen earned the award for helping people living with dementia to live safely at home.
Carla Hainsworth, registered brand manager at Carefound Home Care, said:
“Some of the examples of [Karen] going above and beyond as a live-in carer are amazing and her efforts have directly helped prevent her clients being admitted to hospital …”
“She’s taken clients on day trips to the seaside and to see their loved ones who live further away, held tea party celebrations and even applied for a platinum wedding anniversary surprise message from the King.”
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Bill Plant Driving School wins national awards
Bill Plant Driving School, based in Ripon, has won two awards at the 2023 Intelligent Instructor Awards.
The organisation was named training provider of the year, as well as national driving school of the year at the UK-wide award-ceremony.
Bill Plant also took home the same awards in 2019 and 2020.
CEO Adam Pumfrey said:
“We are humbled to be recognised as not only the best national driving school for learner drivers, but also the best driving instructor training provider in the UK. For us, both of these awards go hand-in-hand”.
In the national driving school of the year category, Bill Plant overcame two of the biggest names in industry, Red and AA Driving School.
The company now has more than 820 instructors who have access to continuing professional development courses and a dedicated support team.
Mr Pumfrey said:
“Our driving instructor training academy, operated by a team of highly experienced trainers with a relentless focus on quality, has led to the development of a nationwide network of world-class driving instructors”.
Harrogate driving instructors fearful of returning to work
Harrogate driving instructors are worried about the health risks of returning to work after struggling financially during lockdown.
Tam Gallagher, chairman of the Harrogate Association of Approved Driving Instructors (HAADI), said that instructors have been told to expect to go back to work on July 6. That’s alongside other professions that can’t work with the two-metre social distancing rule, such as hairdressers. But they are aware of the ongoing risks involved with working in an enclosed space.
He said:
“Some instructors who have underlying health issues are fearful of going back. They are going to go back to work with the hope that they don’t catch anything, but if they don’t work then they don’t make money.”
A handful of instructors of Harrogate have been teaching key workers how to drive during the lockdown but most have had to cancel or postpone lessons.
Mr Gallagher estimated that each instructor will miss out on £15,000 to £20,000 this year, even after the government’s self-employment grant of £6,000 is paid out.
All instructors in Harrogate are self-employed but some are attached to franchises, such as Bill Plant, which provides instructors with pupils and a car.
However, some instructors didn’t qualify for the grant because last year they were employed and only recently qualified recently to be an instructor.
Mr Gallagher said one instructor in the town has had to take drastic measures to balance the books.
He said:
“I know one who said he had to sell his caravan in Harrogate. He can’t afford to pay his rent so had to sell the caravan to offset the losses. He doesn’t get anything.”
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On Monday, the government issued guidance on driving tests which ended three months of uncertainty for HAADI’s 28 driving instructors. This included how instructors can protect themselves and their students with PPE.
Mr Gallagher said:
“It was a long time coming. We just didn’t know what was happening. The government wouldn’t even say all tests were cancelled. We were sitting and waiting. They didn’t tell us soon enough.”