Travelling to Placement by Car

Students who choose to travel to their placement using their own vehicle are responsible for ensuring that it is legally roadworthy and appropriately insured. This includes having:

• Valid insurance that covers travel to placement
• A current MOT certificate
• A full and valid driving licence
• Up-to-date vehicle tax

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure all documentation is in place before using a personal vehicle for placement travel.

Students must ensure that they have adequate insurance cover for travel to and from placement so that no liability is placed on the university or any placement provider (including the NHS and local authorities).

Students must check with their insurance company that they have adequate cover for the following for:

• To use their own car and drive to their place of study. This should include driving to a placement that is not their normal place of study and, where necessary, between different placement settings;
• To use their own car during placement in order to visit and treat patients/clients in their own home, which can entail carrying a small bag with equipment/dressings in for students enrolled onto Health and Social Care Professional programmes;
• Carrying other students.

Students must also ensure that their insurance cover is not invalidated by the receipt of a contribution towards travel costs or by carrying passengers if they are intending to claim for expenses via the NHS Learning Support Fund for students enrolled onto Health and Social Care Professional programmes.

Students are responsible for ensuring they have appropriate insurance cover when using their own vehicle to travel to and from placement. This is to ensure that neither the university nor any placement provider (including the NHS or local authorities) is held liable in the event of an incident.

Students must confirm with their insurance provider that their policy includes cover for:

• Travel to and from placement locations, including those that differ from their usual place of study
• Use of their vehicle during placement to visit patients or clients in their homes (for Health and Social Care Professional programmes), which may involve carrying a small bag with equipment or supplies
• Transporting fellow students as passengers

Additionally, students intending to claim travel expenses through the NHS Learning Support Fund must ensure that their insurance remains valid when receiving travel cost contributions or carrying passengers.

In exceptional cases where no suitable transport options are available, eligible students within the Institute of Education, Arts and Society may be provided with a hire car through Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Approval is granted by the Institute on a case-by-case basis.

To qualify, students must:

• Be at least 18 years old at the start of the hire period
• Hold a full, valid driving licence
• Note: Licence endorsements or penalty points do not affect eligibility unless the student is currently serving a driving ban

Once approved, the university will cover the full cost of the hire car for the agreed placement duration. Hire cars are offered on the condition that the student is willing to transport other named students as passengers.

The Placement Team will arrange the booking, and confirmation will be sent to the student’s university email account. Vehicles must be returned to the same Enterprise depot from which they were collected, unless prior approval has been given to return it to a different location. Any additional charges resulting from failure to follow this process will be the responsibility of the student.

In certain circumstances, students may be eligible to claim expenses for using a hire car during their placement. This option is available when:

• Public transport is unavailable due to the placement location.
• Shift work prevents the use of public transport.
• A car is required for community travel during the working day, and car sharing with an educator is not possible.

Students should consult the NHS Business Services Authority to confirm which costs are eligible for reimbursement.

Students should visit the NHS Business Services website to check what costs can be claimed.

Booking a Hire Car

The university provides access to hire cars through Enterprise Rent-A-Car. To book a vehicle:

1. Submit a Hire Car Request Form at least five working days in advance.
2. Ensure any previous hire car costs have been repaid. Outstanding payments will prevent future bookings.
3. Only the named driver is permitted to operate the vehicle. Use by any other person may result in disciplinary action.

Important Financial Information

• The University will issue an invoice at the end of the hire period. Students must then claim the cost from the NHS Business Services Authority to settle the invoice.
• The university is not liable if a claim is rejected. Students must verify eligibility before booking.
• Misuse of NHS funds, including failure to repay hire car costs, may lead to disciplinary action.
• All purchases fall under the Student Financial Regulations and may affect graduation or award eligibility.
• Be mindful of the processing time for NHS reimbursements, especially near the end of your course. Respond promptly to any finance-related communications.

While using a hire car, students must adhere to all traffic laws and regulations, including:

• No speeding
• Parking only in permitted areas
• Avoiding bus lanes and restricted zones

Students are responsible for paying any motoring fines and associated administrative costs incurred during the hire period. Notifications of fines and recharges will be sent via email, with the programme team or Personal Tutor copied in for reference.

Parking fines typically range from £60 to £85. Invoices for payment will be issued directly by the university.

If you incur more than two penalty charge notices and/or speeding fines the Placement Unit reserves the right to remove your use of the car hire booking service for the remainder of the academic year.

Students are responsible for returning the car with the fuel level specified by Enterprise at the start of the hire.

In the event of a breakdown, phone – 0330 053 0405

In the event of an accident or damage to an Enterprise hire car, the driver must do the following:

• Avoid admitting liability e.g. don’t say that was my fault.
• Assess the damage.
• Phone the Placement Unit informing them about the incident as soon as it is safe to do so: 01228 279 289.
• Phone Enterprise Hire Car (contact the branch who delivered car, details can be found on top of the rental contract or call 0800 800 227).
• Phone Zurich Municipal Claims Line number 0345 600 5923 to advise them of the accident. Quote certificate number NHE-08CA08-0013-52 and advise that you are a University of Cumbria student.
• Alternatively, you can report the accident online here.
• Complete an Accident Report and e-mail within 48 hours of the accident to incidentreporting@cumbria.ac.uk and PLUAdmin@Cumbria.ac.uk

Where damage is caused to a vehicle which is not recoverable from a third party, the university may charge the driver the costs of repair, up to a maximum of the insurance excess (currently £500).

We strongly advise that you photograph the car on collection and return. If any scratches, scuffs etc are visible on the car on collection please ensure they are noted, and you have a photograph of them.  We will ask for photographic evidence of the car in the event of a damage notification being received. You may be liable for any costs incurred.

Use of hire cars by students to travel to placement and for personal use at evenings and weekends is covered by the university’s insurance policy, however personal use should be limited e.g. local travel to the supermarket. Hire Cars should not be used to travel to paid work. If any damage to the hire car is reported, we would need confirmation if it took place during placement related travel or personal travel.

Students may wish to consider taking out their own personal accident cover as specialist medical cover is not included in the policy.