Deadline: 30-Sep-22
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLHC) is seeking applications for its Changing Places Toilets Programme Round 2 to provide changing facilities in public areas and buildings for disabled people.
Changing Places toilets are larger accessible toilets for severely disabled people, with equipment such as hoists, privacy screens, adult-sized changing benches, peninsula toilets and space for carers.
Aims
The aims of the programme are to:
- Substantially boost the number of Changing Places toilets in existing buildings across England.
- Improve the geographical spread of Changing Places toilets by addressing areas that are underserved.
- Increase provision in sectors and venue types of greatest need (based on Insight research carried out by MDUK) to ensure that more disabled people can take part in everyday activities that have the greatest impact on their quality of life.
Scope
- All venue and location types are in scope. The available funding aims to increase the number of Changing Places toilets in publicly accessible places.
- Publicly accessible means a venue or place where one of the primary purposes is access to the general public for recreational, social or related activities. This includes but is not limited to buildings owned or operated by public sector organisations and could include buildings owned or operated by the private or voluntary and community sectors.
- For example, Changing Places toilets in art galleries, cinemas, concert halls, shopping centres, recreation and entertainment buildings, libraries, museums, visitor centres, beaches, parks and gardens would all be in scope.
- To aid local authorities in the delivery of facilities in places where users, their families and carers want to see Changing Places toilets installed, the DLHC has worked with MDUK to undertake the largest consultation on Changing Places toilets. This research provides insight as to where facilities are best placed to help users, their families and carers, to enable them to achieve their goals to be able to ‘have a day out’ and undertake social and recreational activities with dignity, confidence and freedom.
- The venue types specified do not represent an exhaustive list and all venue types are in scope if they meet the requirement of being publicly accessible.
- Care should be taken not to duplicate support available through existing schemes for installation of Changing Places toilets in specific venue types i.e. funding available through Department for Transport for motorway service stations and the Department of Health and Social Care scheme for NHS premises. However, as the transport network is crucial to people’s mobility and hospital premises are important hubs in many places, both will be in scope where there is no duplication of provision.
- In some circumstances, purchase of an external modular Changing Places toilet may be appropriate if space within an identified venue isn’t available.
- Although the main focus of the funding is to increase provision in existing buildings, extending Changing Places toilet provision through investment in small scale infrastructure (that is not covered by statutory guidance Part M section 5.7e introduced in 2020) or the use of mobile Changing Places toilets which could align and contribute to activities supporting economic recovery (e.g. events to encourage people back to town centres) may also be considered. However, it is clear from User engagement that it is critical that they know that facilities are available in order to plan their visits.
- For the avoidance of doubt, the hire of temporary facilities, either mobile or static is not eligible under the fund.
- Local authorities will be responsible for identifying local places that would be best placed to house a Changing Places toilet and working with relevant partners to build or install the facility.
- The programme seeks to increase the number of Changing Places toilets without detracting from existing toilet facilities – accessible or otherwise. When considering location, local authorities will need to take this into account.
- Expressions of Interest will only be accepted from eligible local authorities. However, the DLHC expects there to be close cooperation with counties, town, and parish councils where applicable, as well as clear engagement with community, delivery partners e.g., tourism locations, country parks etc and other interested partners. Local authorities in areas subject to boundary changes from 2023 remain eligible to apply in this round.
- Round 2 will operate over the financial year 2023/24. To be eligible for support under round 2 local authorities must confirm in their expression of interest that they can commission and complete the building and registration of the Changing Place toilet facility by the end of the financial year 2023/24.
Funding Information
- Round 2 CPF will seek to target up to £6.5 million in areas where there remains no existing provision and where greatest need is identified.
The Target User Groups:
- Those with complex disabilities who require hoisting from their wheelchair onto the toilet and providing support once on the toilet.
- Those who are incontinent and who require hoisting from their wheelchair onto a height adjustable adult sized changing bench to have their continence pads changed.
- Those who are not wheelchair users but whose other complex needs are not met in current public toilet provision. This includes disabled children and adults who have balance or health/size issues, or severe autism or challenging behaviours who are not easy to toilet and need adequate space for carer support on both sides of the toilet, or to manage behaviour and hyperactivity.
- To enable family or professional carers to use the toilet with dignity whilst keeping the wheelchair user safe.
Eligibility Criteria
The following tiers of local government are able to apply for funding:
- District Councils
- Unitary Authorities (single tier)
- London Boroughs
- Metropolitan Boroughs
For more information, visit DLHC.
For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changing-places-toilets-programme-round-2-prospectus/changing-places-toilets-programme-round-2-prospectus