The Supervisor Who Did Not Return
A Part 1 student is 15 minutes into a supervised lesson with a 17-year-old learner on a quiet residential road. The supervising ADI receives a call that his child has been taken to hospital and leaves, saying he will be back in 30 minutes. The learner's parent has prepaid for the two-hour lesson and is waiting at the roadside. The Part 1 student has completed the theory and hazard perception elements and has been supervising for four months, but has not passed Part 2 or Part 3. The learner is progressing well and the route is familiar. The Part 1 student considers continuing the lesson because the parent is present and the road is quiet. The learner's provisional permit and the vehicle's dual controls are in order.
1. Can the Part 1 student continue the lesson unsupervised?
Read the worked answer
No. The Part 1 student has not passed Part 2 or Part 3 and is not a qualified ADI. The supervising ADI's absence removes the professional cover for the lesson. The quiet road, the parent's presence and the learner's progress do not change that. The parent is not an ADI and cannot supervise instruction. The Part 1 student should bring the car to a safe stopping place, secure it, and tell the learner clearly that the lesson cannot continue. He should not use the remaining time for just practice or let the learner drive home. If he is unsure, he should contact the supervising ADI or the driving school office before moving the car.
2. What should happen to the learner, the parent and the prepaid fee?
Read the worked answer
The learner should be told why the lesson stopped, without blaming the supervisor's family emergency. The parent should be given the facts: the lesson is ending because the qualified supervisor is unavailable, and a replacement lesson will be arranged. The fee for the unused time should be refunded or credited, and the arrangement put in writing. The Part 1 student should not promise that the lesson will count or that the test date is safe. If the parent is angry, he should not be drawn into an argument at the roadside; he should give the office contact and move to a safe place.
3. What records and reporting are needed?
Read the worked answer
The Part 1 student should note the time, place, duration, who was present, why the lesson stopped, and what was said about the fee. He should tell the supervising ADI and the school as soon as practicable. The incident should be reported through the school's procedure, and if the ADI code requires notification of a change in supervision, that should be checked with DVDL. He should not write in the learner's progress record as if a full lesson took place. The aim is an accurate account that protects the learner and shows the Part 1 student did not exceed his authority.