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October 14, 1984
saw the return to the Shirland Road cellar of Lee Morland.
It wasn’t his first time there. He had been to our Maida Vale HQ
before to have a brief go at being a telephonist before moving
on to Radio Taxis (South) for 3 years and Computer Cab for 12
months as a dispatcher. But the pull of ODRTS was too strong and
in 1984, he returned to Shirland Road, but this time as a
dispatcher. This was in the last year under the Chairmanship of Peter Fennymore, who stood down from the position later that year after overseeing our move to Brunswick Place. Lee’s direct "boss" was Peter’s son Bob, who was Control Room Manager at the time. "I’ve enjoyed it all," Lee told Call Sign, "and I wouldn’t be surprised if I was still here after 50 years!" Nowadays Lee is the Call Centre Supervisor Manager for the day shift, but in November |
It’s 25 years for Lee Morland! |
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 2006 he completed the Knowledge so there isn’t much he doesn’t know about both sides of the business. Even wife Tracy was with DaC for 12 years, starting as a call taker before moving to the DaC Help Desk and then dropping three floors to the IT department. Lee was also the cornerstone of the successful DaC 5-a-side football team that won a divisional championship. However, he will forever remember one game in September 2001 – his last – when |
 two of the five DaC team members were sent off for swearing at the referee and Lee – as team captain – led the rest of the team off the pitch, leaving a bewildered set of opponents standing there! Lee also has a broken finger that never healed as a memory of his footballing days representing the Society! So does Lee have any complaints? After all, he knows Call Sign can keep a secret! "Well, between you and me, as I’m getting older, a softer chair wouldn’t go amiss!" To celebrate Lee’s 25 years at DaC, he was presented with a bottle of Champagne and with Tracy, taken out to dinner. Our congratulations go to Lee as well… |
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CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU REDUCES FEES But don’t get excited… it’s not for us! |
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Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has reduced the fee for
Standard Disclosures. Following a pricing review, the government
agency has agreed to reduce the fee charged for a Standard
Disclosure from £31 to £26. The change came into effect from 1
October 2009. For the third year running, the CRB has not increase its fees. The planned fee reduction has been made possible due to an expected increase in the volume of disclosure applications being processed as the new Vetting and Barring Scheme came into place from 12 October. Checks for volunteers will continue to be free of charge, which provided a saving to the voluntary sector of approximately £27 million in 2008/09. Home Office Minister Lord Brett explained: "The CRB plays a vital role in helping to protect the most vulnerable in our society by giving employers the extra tools they need to make informed recruitment decisions. The cost of a CRB check continues to represent good value for money, given the protection and assurance that such checks provide. In 2008, a further 18,000 unsuitable people were prevented from gaining access to children and vulnerable adults as a direct result of a CRB check, bringing the total to around 98,000 in the past five years." However, the reduced rate does not apply to licensed Taxi drivers. The Home Office spokesperson pointed out to Call Sign that we need the enhanced version, which is still the same price. When we in turn pointed out that we are thoroughly checked before being allowed to go onto the Knowledge, that the PCO/ TfL are automatically informed if we break any laws and that we have to apply for a re-licence every three years so why do we need the enhanced version, the spokesperson didn’t know – other than telling us that we needed the enhanced version! The fee levels are now £26 for the Standard CRB check (reduced from £31), with the Enhanced CRB check still at £36. |
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