The Driving Instructor and Trainers Collective - The DITC

12/06/2026

(Info sent out by DVSA, feel free to use and share)

12/06/2026

Yesterday was the first InPUT Trainers Workshop.

A huge thank you to everyone who gave up their time, travelled, contributed, challenged, listened and invested in something better.

The aim of the day was never to run a CPD session. It was a working summit. A room full of experienced trainers looking honestly at where instructor training is now, where it falls short, and what a better future could look like.

The day was constructive, supportive and, at times, rightly challenging. We did not all agree on everything. That was never the point.

The point was to get the right people in the room, have the conversations properly, and start turning shared frustration into something useful.

There was a clear sense that instructor training needs more than criticism. It needs structure, standards, direction and a route forward that supports trainees, instructors, trainers and road safety.

This was the first step.

Ian and I are now working through the discussions, discoveries and outcomes from the day so we can bring together something tangible for those who were in the room and for the wider profession.

Thank you again to everyone who took part.
We all left challenged, informed and positive about what could come next.

Now the real work begins.

10/05/2026

Have you heard about the AI for Driving Instructors event on 5th July?

In this episode of Instructor Insights, I speak to Des O’Connor to find out what the event is, why he’s created it, and why ADIs should probably be paying attention.

Because AI isn’t coming. It’s here.

And the question isn’t really, “Should driving instructors use AI?”

The better question is:
“Do you understand it well enough to decide?”

Some instructors are already using it for enquiries, lesson notes, content, planning, admin, emails, adverts and ideas.

Some are interested, but cautious. Some think it’s nonsense.

All three are valid starting points. But ignoring it completely probably isn’t a great long-term plan.

This event isn’t about turning ADIs into tech people. It’s about helping instructors understand what AI can do, what it can’t do, where the risks are, and how to use it without losing your own voice.

I’ll be speaking at the event too, with my own AI journey about developing reputation, trust, and why sounding like yourself matters more than ever.

Watch the conversation here:
https://youtu.be/FXzCMW-8pK8

Get your tickets here:
https://aifordrivinginstructors.com/

AI won’t replace good instructors.
But instructors who understand it may have an advantage over those who pretend it doesn’t exist.

In this episode of Instructor Insights, Chris Bensted chats with Des O’Connor about the growing role of AI in the driving instructor industry.AI is everywher...

10/05/2026

Thanks to the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency Instructors have been given time off moving, booking and managing tests! Maybe you are wondering “What do I do with this time?”

ADI Walk Back - Mental and Physical health for ADIs & PDIs

Find your nearest here ADI WALK BACK - ADIs & PDIs near you or if there isn’t one, start your own!
(Waiting room posters available on request)

09/05/2026

Live on Times Radio tomorrow (10th May) {EDIT Moved from 8:15am to 9:50am}

The Driving Instructor and Trainers Collective - The DITCs very own Chris Bensted talking about the failure to increase examiner numbers and the upcoming ADI test booking ban

Listen to Times Radio live for the latest breaking news, expert analysis and well-informed discussion covering the biggest stories of the day.

07/05/2026

DVSA Final reminder: Driving test booking rules Q&A tonight

Our follow-up Q&A session to help you support your pupils prepare for these changes is tonight. This follows the technical difficulties many of you experienced accessing the webinar on 23 April.

You’ll have the opportunity to ask DVSA representatives your questions. You can type your questions during the session, and they’ll answer as many as they can.

You can watch the recording of the webinar, and what was covered here.

Date: Today (Thursday 7 May)

Time: 6pm

22/04/2026

DVSA sends out an email to OBS users to update pupils email address before the 12th May

18/04/2026

InPUT Event for Trainers

Over 25% tickets sold in the first week

Very excited about the possibilities

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/input-input-instructor-trainers-workshop-summit-tickets-1986519814240

A Step Forward for Instructor Training. Get ready to have your say at the InPUT Instructor Trainers Workshop Summit—live and hands-on!

15/04/2026

InPUT is live.

Are you an instructor trainer who actually wants to make a difference? And more to the point, will you be there?

For a long time now, this industry has got into the habit of waiting for the DVSA to lead. We wait for change, we react to change, and then we talk about what should have been done differently. But we rarely step forward and set the expectation ourselves, and that’s the bit that doesn’t sit right anymore.
So instead of having another version of the same conversation, we’re doing something about it.

We’ve launched InPUT

It’s never been done before, not like this. This isn’t a CPD day and it’s not a speaker event where you sit back and take notes. The whole point is that you don’t just attend, you contribute.

It’s a working room. A day built around bringing trainers and training providers together to properly look at what we’re doing, what isn’t working, and what needs to change, and then actually starting to shape something better from it.

If this is going to carry any weight, it needs the right people involved. Not just the ones who turn up to agree, but the ones who are prepared to question things, challenge ideas, and add something meaningful to the room.

We’ve kept the numbers tight on purpose, because too many people and it turns into noise, too few and it doesn’t represent anything. This only works if the balance is right.

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking “this could be better”, then this is your chance to be part of doing something about it rather than talking about it afterwards.

Tickets are limited, and the Early Bird runs until the end of April.
Details and booking:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/input-input-instructor-trainers-workshop-summit-tickets-1986519814240

At some point, we have to stop waiting to be told what good looks like, and start deciding it.