SERU safeguarding: questions and answers
31 practice questions for the TfL SERU assessment, with answers and explanations at the end.
Free from taxiknowledgetest.co.uk. Not an official council or TfL document: check the current official guidance.
Questions
Who is at risk and your part
Safeguarding is about keeping children and adults at risk safe from blank.
In law, someone is a child until they reach the age of blank.
The Handbook says every child is vulnerable to harm. Why?
Who is an adult at risk?
Your operator sends you a booking for a 12-year-old travelling alone. What should you make sure you know?
If your passenger is a child travelling alone, you should make sure your blank knows.
Protecting children and adults at risk from harm is the job of blank.
How can a PHV driver help to protect people at risk?
With every passenger, your behaviour should be appropriate and blank all the time.
What does the Handbook say about the online safeguarding awareness training?
Signs of risk and county lines
The Handbook gives criminal exploitation another name: blank.
In county lines, gangs use children and young adults to sell blank.
Why might a PHV driver carry someone involved in county lines?
You often pick up the same teenager at 3am and take them to a hotel. What should you think?
A 14-year-old passenger says they are going to meet someone they have only spoken to online. What should you do?
Some adults put a young person in your vehicle. The young person seems drunk or on drugs. What is this?
It may be a sign of risk if a child looks worried or blank when they are with adults.
Which of these does the Handbook list as a sign an adult may be at risk?
A man answers every question for the woman with him. He also chooses where she goes. What should you be aware of?
It may be a sign of risk if another person controls an adult's blank.
Reporting your concerns
You think a child you carried is suffering abuse. What must you do?
You are worried about a passenger, but it is not an emergency. The police number to call is blank.
If someone at risk is in an emergency, call blank.
It helps to keep a written or blank note of the incident that worried you.
Which details should your note include?
A passenger tells you they are being harmed. What should you do?
Crimestoppers lets you report a concern blank.
What is the number for Crimestoppers?
The number for the NSPCC is blank.
When does the Handbook suggest you could use Crimestoppers or the NSPCC?
You call a helpline about a concern. Do you have to give your details?
Answers
- B. harm and abuse. The Handbook defines safeguarding as keeping these groups safe from harm and abuse.
- D. 18. In law, anyone under 18 is a child.
- C. Their age makes it hard to protect themselves. Their age is the reason. Children find it harder to protect themselves and they rely on adults.
- A. Anyone over 18 who needs extra care and support. This means someone aged over 18 who needs extra care and support. The reason may be their age, a disability or mental illness.
- B. The name of the adult meeting the child. When a child travels alone, you need the name of the adult meeting them when the journey ends. Your operator should give it to you.
- D. operator. The Handbook says to make sure your operator knows that the passenger is an unaccompanied child.
- C. everybody. It is not only a job for social workers or the police. It falls to everyone.
- C. You may notice something wrong and report it. You might notice things that do not seem right. A report from you to the police may help protect someone.
- B. professional. The Handbook expects appropriate, professional behaviour with every passenger, including children and adults at risk.
- D. You should take it as it is important. The Handbook tells you this training exists and says it matters that you do it.
- B. county lines. The Handbook uses the term 'county lines' for criminal exploitation by gangs and organised crime groups.
- D. drugs. County lines gangs and organised crime groups use young people to sell drugs.
- A. Young people may be forced to travel in PHVs. Young people in county lines are often made to travel between counties. That can be by train, taxi or PHV.
- C. This may be a sign the young person is at risk. Young or vulnerable people being taken to hotels, especially at odd times of day or night, can be a sign of risk.
- B. They may be at risk, so report your concern. A young person going to meet a stranger, perhaps someone from online, is a listed sign of risk. If you think they are at risk, report it.
- D. A possible sign the young person is at risk. The Handbook lists this as a sign: adults placing a young person who may be affected by drink or drugs in your vehicle.
- C. frightened. Looking worried or frightened around adults is one of the listed signs for a child or young person.
- B. They look unclean and not well fed. Poor clothes, being unclean or looking short of food are listed signs for an adult or young person.
- A. She may be controlled by another adult. The Handbook lists it as a sign when another adult seems to control someone or makes their decisions.
- C. money. Another person controlling an adult's money is a listed sign.
- A. Tell both your operator and the police. You must report it to both your operator and the police. This applies if you think someone needs help or shows signs of abuse, or if they tell you themselves.
- D. 101. Tell your operator and call the police on 101. Use 999 in an emergency.
- C. 999. In an emergency, call 999. For other concerns, use 101.
- B. recorded. The Handbook says a written or recorded note is helpful. You can then give the details to the police.
- D. Dates, times, what happened and who was there. Include dates and times, what happened, and the name, address and a description of the people involved.
- C. Listen, reassure them and report it. Listen to them, be kind and professional so they feel reassured, and report your concern.
- B. anonymously. The Handbook describes Crimestoppers as an anonymous service.
- A. 0800 555 111. The Handbook gives 0800 555 111 for Crimestoppers.
- B. 0808 800 5000. The Handbook lists 0808 800 5000 for the NSPCC.
- B. When you feel you should not report to the police. The Handbook offers these if you feel that going to the police is not appropriate. In an emergency, call 999.
- C. No, but more information is better. You can stay anonymous and keep your details private. But giving more information helps.
Sources
- Private Hire Vehicle Driver's Handbook, version 1.0, Transport for London, published 30 September 2021. Checked 1 November 2026. https://content.tfl.gov.uk/phv-driver-handbook-v1.pdf