Hampshire County Council Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel Item 19 October 2004 Disability Discrimination Act Access audits & improvements strategy Report by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services

Contact: Marcos Frangos Ext: 3811 email: [email protected]

How the conclusion in this report fits with the Corporate Strategy This scheme will impact on the delivery of the following Corporate Aims Aim 1 - maximising life opportunities, by providing disabled people in Hampshire improved access to services and buildings both as customers and employees of the County Council Aim 3 - achieving economic prosperity, through increased number of disabled customers/visitors to the County Council's public buildings. Aim 5 - improving services: approximately 10-11% of people of working age in Hampshire are covered by the DDA definition of disabled people and will be directly impacted by increased accessibility Aim 6 - developing councillors and staff, through improvements to physical workplaces, employment and training opportunities

1	Summary
1.1	The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) provides enforceable rights to disabled people and comes fully into effect on 1 October 2004. The final duties require service providers to overcome barriers that disabled people face, particularly physical features, through reasonable adjustments.
1.2	Members received a report from the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services on 26 March 2004 covering the Access Audits & Improvements Strategy. This report updates on progress with that Strategy and highlights the timescales and resource implications for its full implementation.

2	DDA Access Audits & Improvements Strategy
2.1	Phase 1 - public buildings
	Phase 1 comprised over 150 buildings deemed highest priority under the DDA. All access audits in this phase have been completed, one third in partnership with local Access groups. Appendix 1 provides details of access improvements projects in 2004/05. In addition to this list access improvements are dovetailed within capital schemes, for example Discovery Centres, as well as other planned refurbishment works.
2.2	Timescales for completing Phase 1
	Funding for access improvements in 2004/05 comes from P&R's Capital Repairs (£180,000 pa) plus approximately £50,000 contribution from both Recreation & Heritage and Social Services Departments. This funding is currently 112% committed. By the end of 2004/05, approximately 53% of all Phase 1 sites will be complete. Assuming current levels of funding, an additional 3 years rolling programme of improvements are anticipated to complete Phase 1.
2.3	Managing risk of DDA claims
	Potential claims of discrimination in the Courts are much more likely after 1 October since overcoming physical barriers represents the most significant challenge. An additional three years to implement improvements in Phase 1 leaves the County Council in a vulnerable position, particularly as some of the projects are high priority, e,g. induction loops in libraries. In order to progress this work more quickly it is proposed to seek further contributions from Recreation and Heritage (£50,000) and that any shortfall (up to £50,000) be met from the Capital Repairs budget. While the County Council has an excellent reputation nationally in terms of access (see 5.1 below), this also serves to raise the level of public expectation.
2.4	Braille signage to WC's
	At the Members & Officers DDA working group on 15 September 2004, Members recommended that BLPP consider installing WC signage to best practice standards for visually impaired or blind people: i.e. Braille, embossed words and symbols. Members recommended this be implemented to all staff and public WC's, This equates to around 350 WC's in public buildings at a total cost of approximately £32,000 (includes removal of existing signage, redecoration where applicable, fitting new sign plus travel time: 260 doors @ £120 ea + 90 doors @ £50 ea). The current approach is to refurbish WC signage as part of an overall package of access improvements as opposed to stand-alone signage improvements. Members expressed concern that if this WC signage was agreed other planned projects for 2004/05 were not jeopardized.
3	Phase 2: Schools
3.1	Access improvements in schools are in line with the LEA's Accessibility Strategy. Appendix 2 outlines the main aims of the strategy with respect to mainstream schools. Schools Access Initiative (SAI) fund is a capital fund allocated to the Education Department from the DfES to improve facilities and access in mainstream schools. The 2004/05 programme includes works to approximately 50 primary and 8 secondary school projects with c. £2.14 million total expenditure. SAI will continue for the next financial year with a similar amount anticipated in 2005/06 for Hampshire schools.
4	Phase 3: Part-public buildings
4.1	This final phase will incorporate buildings where services are only partly open to the public, for example social services family centres, or office accommodation. Detailed planning begins this Autumn with an on-line questionnaire to assess priority buildings. Access audits will then commence in 2005/06, with project work being phased into a rolling programme from 2006/7 - 2009/10.
5	Best Value Indicator No 156 - % accessibility of public buildings
5.1	This PI measures "% of authority buildings open to the public in which all public areas are suitable for and accessible to disabled people." HCC is currently ranked top authority for this PI among other county councils. The outturn figure in 2003/04 was 74%, the target for 2004/05 is 75%.
6	Conclusions
6.1	Phase 1: The department continues to make excellent progress, completing all access audits and an estimated 53% completion of projects by end of 2004/05.
6.2	Phase 2: The 2004/05 SAI programme includes access improvements to approx 50 mainstream primary and 8 secondary schools.
6.3	Phase 3: access audits are due to start 2005/06, with associated access improvements in a rolling programme up to 2010.

Recommendation(s)
	That the Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel advises the Executive Member for Policy and Resources that:
1	the progress on the DDA Access Audits & Improvements Strategy be noted and that the current funding of £180,000 per annum from the Policy and Resources capital repairs budget continues to ensure completion of phases 1 and 3;
2	subject to a further funding contribution from Recreation and Heritage, additional funding of up to £50,000 in 2004/05 be approved to enable the current commitments in Phase 1 to be completed;
3	the Panel responds to the Members DDA working group recommendation outlined in 2.4 to install Braille signage to all WC doors.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1 Published works

2 Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act

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BLPP1004J

Appendix 1

Phase 1 Access Improvement projects in 2004/05

Social services	Status	Comments
Aldershot SS Area Office	Feasibility	WC upgrade
Basingstoke SS Area Office	Feasibility	WC upgrade
Fareham SS Area Office	Feasibility	WC upgrade
Gosport SS Area Office	Feasibility	WC & lift upgrade
Trafalgar House SS Area Office & Winchester Law Courts joint project	Due out to tender Sep 04	Improved pedestrian scheme linking High St & Trafalgar House, new vehicle barrier and accessible parking.

PB&R: Register Offices	Status		Comments
A report to PB&R's SMG in September 2004 is addressing Access for disabled people, operational suitability and building condition assessments. At this meeting a programme of work for 2004/05 will be agreed, and the items below are only indicative priorities at this stage.
Aldershot RO	Feasibility required	Accessible WC, internal corridors & door improvements & exit improvements.
Alton RO	Feasibility required	General improvements
Romsey RO	Feasibility required	General improvements

PB&R:Office Accommodation	Status	Comments
Ashburton Ct East/South lifts	Feasibility	DDA upgrade to car and buttons
EII Court	Works ordered	DDA upgrade to car and buttons of main lift
	Complete	Delayed opening door closers to all doors on 1st floor EII Court
Mottisfont Court	Feasibility	2 new platform stairlifts to create link between North & South passenger lifts
SHHGA - Jermyns House	Feasibility	Powered doors and exit improvements

R&H: Libraries	Status	Comments
Chandlers Ford Library	Due on site October	New platform lift to mezzanine level
Farnborough Library	On site	Refurbished lift to create evacuation lift
South Ham Library	Due on site	Ramps & means of escape improvements
Yateley Library	Due on site	New entrance with accessible WC and ramp
Waterlooville Library	Feasibility	New evacuation chairs & staff training

R&H: Museums	Status	Comments
Bursledon Windmill	Feasibility	External path improvements & new floor to barn
Hampshire Records Office	Out to quotation	Handrails to external routes & nosings to escape stair
Westbury Manor Museum	Subject to Joint Management Committee cost shared agreement with Fareham BC	New platform lift to access 1st floor & associated improvements to galleries

R&H: Arts & Countryside	Status	Comments
Calshott Activity Centre	Feasibility	New automatic doors
Manor Farm Country Park	Feasibility	Upgrade to existing accessible WC's
Queen Elizabeth CP	Feasibility	WC upgrade
Tower Arts Centre	Due on site Sep	Improvements to changing area, WC's & external stair nosings

Appendix 2

1.0 DDA Part IV: Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Act

This relates to the provision of Education and associated services to disabled pupils. Its implementation is a combined responsibility on the Education Department and all mainstream schools. The County Council's Accessibility Strategy sets strategic objectives for the next three years to achieve a geographic spread of accessible primary and secondary schools between 2003-06. These include:

· complete the programme of providing four "resourced and fully accessible" secondary schools across the county for pupils with physical disabilities

· invest further in its resourced schools, as necessary, and increase the number of accessible secondary schools, particularly where they are almost fully accessible

· provide at least one fully accessible primary (or pair of infant and junior) feeder schools, for each secondary school resourced/accessible for pupils with physical disabilities

· increase the number and improve the geographical spread of accessible primary (including infant and junior) schools across the county

· give priority to infant and junior schools on shared sites, where one is fully accessible but the other is not

· meet individual pupils' needs as they arise through a contingency fund representing approx 5% of current SAI funding.