Archive for May, 2009

UK Parking Sector Skills Strategy

Friday, May 29th, 2009

People are the primary asset of the Parking Services in the UK and as such it is necessary to identify the recruitment and retaining of staff who possess the necessary qualifications this industry requires in order to provide a high level of customer services while enforcing those rules and regulations that have been put in place for the safety and convenience of the public.

It is necessary to identify gaps that exist in skills shortages so that ongoing qualification development can be effective. At the same time, it is necessary to improve the quality of performance by broadening knowledge as well as those skills which are so important to this industry. It is also necessary to highlight and progress career paths for current employees while standardising certain skills so those from outside the industry who have matching skills are able to find employment within it.

The Aim

The aim of the Skills Strategy is to primarily improve current knowledge, qualifications, skills and professionalism within the industry by creating a culture of learning. What this will achieve is to increase the demand for further learning whilst increasing learning opportunities. It is necessary for this industry to develop and maintain learning modules and units of learning which will ensure that staff attain or maintain accredited parking qualifications.  It is therefore necessary to first identify which skills are lacking or which need further development and then supply the necessary training.

Currently there are very few specific qualifications for parking staff on the NQF, or National Qualifications Framework system.  All that is required in controlling parking areas is a Level 2 S/NVQ qualification and a level 2 VRQ is required for Parking Attendants of Civil Enforcement Officers.

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Civil Enforcement Officer

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

A Civil Enforcement Officer is usually employed by a Council, but can also be employed by private companies contracted to a Council.  Their function is to enforce parking restrictions and regulations.  They were previously known as traffic attendants or wardens.

Powers

Civil Enforcements Officers spend their days walking the streets and are recognisable by their uniforms.  Their function is ensure that traffic regulations are being upheld by the public and to help them in their duties they hold the power to issue anyone contravening traffic regulations with a Penalty Charge Notice, or PCN. They have to power to inspect Blue badges and can immobilise a vehicle if need be.

PCN’s were designed to help cut down paper work on council officers by allowing the offender to deal with the issue ‘on the spot’ and while it is not a criminal offence to be issued one, failure to pay within a certain amount of time may result in a bailiff of the court executing a warrant of arrest to the offender.

A Blue Badge is another name for a disabled parking permit.  This permit has to be displayed on any parked vehicle carrying people who fall under this category if they wish to park in a designated disabled parking space. Failure to allow a Civil Enforcement Officer the ability to inspect these badges amounts to an offence.

A Civil Enforcement Officer needs to have the ability to communicate clearly, possess interpersonal relations skills, diplomacy, tact and patience and must be able to operate any equipment necessary to their job.

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Enforced Parking In The UK

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

On a daily basis in the UK, many thousands of cars need to find a place to park. The aim of Parking Services is to aid local councils in enforcing off street car parks as well as all parking regulations both off and on street.

Enforced parking in the UK is a way to reduce the amount of illegally parked vehicles which contribute to pollution and traffic congestion. Illegally parked cars and other vehicles interfere can obstruct access to shops, places of business and services and can also impede the response time of emergency vehicles.

Enforced parking encourages sensible parking and discourages inconsiderate parking which benefits everyone who uses the road, including pedestrians, cyclists and passengers.  Enforced parking also benefits resident parking schemes.

Parking Legislation

Most drivers park their vehicles in designated parking spaces, but there are some motorists who contravene traffic regulations by parking illegally for instance on yellow lines, in spaces designated for bus stops, cycle lanes or residents parking areas.  Apart from being dangerous and illegal, they are contravening the parking legislation act too.  Council’s power to enforce parking derives from Acts of Parliament and this is one reason why parking jobs are so important to the smooth running of our towns and cities.

Most of the UK’s councils appoint contractors who employ teams of Civil Enforcement Officers, or parking attendants.  Their job is not only to enforce the regulations while patroling streets and car parks, dressed in their easily recognisable blue uniforms, but they are also charged with the role of helping motorists.  If a motorist is found contravening a Traffic Regulation Order, or TRO, they are issued a Penalty Charge Notice, or PCN.

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Parking Enforcement Jobs

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

The parking services industry spans the whole of Britain, providing motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and residents with high levels of customer service while maintaining order and adherence to traffic regulations.

In this highly pressurised environment, it is not surprising that these employees must possess personal endurance and integrity in the face of adversity.  They must also possess the skills and experience necessary for administrative positions and customer service.

Skills

There are a host of parking jobs in the industry, each one requiring specialist skills, but they all have fundamental responsibilities and requirements running through them all.

What these are is the ability to respond promptly to any enquiry from the public, be it in the form of telephonic, email, verbal of written.  Every employee must provide a very high level of customer service, be accurate, efficient and factual.  They must be able to multitask and deal with challenging timescales.

Some administrative positions require employees to maintain databases, IT systems and management while others are required to deal with third party agencies, contractors or internal teams.

Whatever their position, every employee must have knowledge of parking legislation and the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service.

Parking job opportunities include administration jobs such as Parking Correspondence Officers, Customer Administration Assistants, Customer Services and IT.  Other jobs include Project Managers, Parking Managers, Parking Service Officers and Parking Attendants.

Each position requires specific qualifications, but it is imperative that when applying for a position, applicants have previous experience working with the public on a ‘face to face’ level.  Salaries depend on the position as well as experience and are usually offered on a contract, freelance or part time basis.

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Parking Services Managers

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Managing parking regulations and rules takes precision and as Parking Services and Councils are a highly public concerns, their management has to be transparent and above board at all times.

The role of manager

Management of any parking operation involves specific functions such as off street car parks, collection of cash, enforcing parking regulations, dealing with resident parking permits as well as other permits and a host of other things.

For this reason, the job of parking management is demanding and needs exceptional skills in communication, prioritising, adherence to and setting of budgets and time lines, upholding standards and procedures as well as implementing new ones or tweaking outdated ones all the while being able to lead strongly in order to manage the public’s service expectations.

A parking services manager needs a strong understanding of parking operations as well as local government and being able to work with different governing bodies across a wide area.  They must possess the relevant management qualifications and be able to prove their competency in this field.  They need to be highly flexible in their approach while being able to prioritise under challenging conditions.

On a personal level they should be able to adapt their approach to their audience and situation and be able to organise and motive their staff by being able to recognise their potential.  They need to encourage development amongst their staff and be consistent and fair in their discipline.

They need to understand how important customer value is and feed this down to their staff.  They must be able to analyse their approach to their department and adapt accordingly, as with all parking jobs.

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The Role Of A Parking Correspondence Officer

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

Parking Correspondence Officers fall into the category of parking administrators.

Usually working in customer service teams of between four to five officers who report to a team leader, their purpose is provide responsive attention to users of parking services.

Responsive Attention

What they are required to undertake as part of their normal daily duties is to deal with all manner of correspondence which includes any issues regarding parking permits, complaints, refunds as well as any queries or complaints that come in telephonically. They must be able to handle at least twenty letters of correspondence per day.

They may also be called on to represent the Council regarding court issues, adjudication and appeals.

Their team leaders would expect their parking correspondence officers to keep them informed of any issues relating to court cases as well as any internal problems such as computerised systems and payments.  Apart from this, team leaders in this parking team would also expect them to help with reconciling payments, error identification and error solving.  They are also expected to put forward suggestions regarding the development of new procedures, or improvement to existing ones.

Anyone considering a career in this field must have knowledge of the 2004 Traffic Management Act and any related legislation as well as experience knowledge of court procedures, appeals and penalty charge notices.

A Parking Correspondence Officer is a customers first point of contact and because of this they must be able provide a high level of customer care while remaining consistently courteous, helpful and professional.

They may at times have to identify potential fraud which and will in turn be called on to refer these issues to the appropriate agency.

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