Pass or fail? The audit trail

The Van Excellence audit takes up to three hours to complete.

The first step is for the assessor to select a sample of vehicles and drivers from the records to check for compliance versus the systems that the company has in place.

The principal is to check that the fleet is doing what its processes say it does. This includes areas such as verification of vehicle maintenance and driver training compliance.

It takes 20-30 minutes to go through the initial records, questioning the project manager for evidence of the processes.

Then it’s a case of going through the Van Excellence report questions which includes topics like pre-use checking of
vehicles, fault rectification, and maintenance cycles.

At the end of the process, the fleet is given the decision – pass or fail.

This is confirmed a few days later in the form of a full report.

If the company failed the initial audit, the report would also include areas that require further action.

Factfile

Organisation name South Central Ambulance Service
Head of fleet Rick Stillman
Fleet size 960 (including 200 ambulances, 300 PTS buses, 150 response cars and 150 convert officer cars
Funding method Outright purchase for ambulances, buses; sale and leaseback for bluelight cars, leasing for staff cars
Replacement cycles 10 years for ambulances; five years for bluelight cars; three years for staff cars
Workshops Reading, Oxford and Southampton, plus one-ramp facilities in Bletchley and Stoke Mandeville