Inclusive Design Review Panel

Message from the chair

I am Chair of Hammersmith and Fulham Inclusive Design Review Panel (IDRP).

Our aim is to help the council achieve its ambition to be the most accessible borough in England using inclusive design principles.

We are a group of Disabled residents with lived experience of facing barriers when accessing housing, public buildings and open space. We provide advice to Hammersmith and Fulham Council to make sure planning applications create new accessible and inclusive buildings that work for everyone.

This year IDRP and the Planning Department reviewed how we work together and agreed to advertise for new members. Please look at our invitation to join us and get in touch if you have any questions or need any help to apply.

We are now advertising vacancies on IDRP. It is an exciting time to join IDRP as we move to a different way of working with the Planning Department.

Jane Wilmot OBE
Chair of Inclusive Design Review Panel

London needs more accessible design - City Hall - BBC News

Invitation to join the H&F Inclusive Design Review Panel

Are you a Disabled person and have lived experience of facing barriers when accessing housing, public buildings and open space?

Do you live, study, work or volunteer in Hammersmith & Fulham and would like to make a difference locally?

Would you like to give advice to the council's planning department on planning applications?

We would like to invite you to join the H&F Inclusive Design Review Panel

The IDRP provides advice to Hammersmith & Fulham Council on making sure that planning applications¹ create new buildings are accessible and inclusive that work for everyone. The group will use the Social Model of Disability² and a human rights way³of working in all its work.

We would provide:

• training to new members on access and inclusion
• empower new members to take an active part
• access to technical expertise.

Want to know more? Read the recruitment pack section.

If you have questions, call or text Tara Flood on 07776 672 830 or email coproduction@lbhf.gov.uk

Recruitment pack

Download the easy read recruitment pack (pdf 274KB).

The aim of the Inclusive Design Review Panel

To help H&F achieve its ambition to be the most accessible borough in England, using inclusive design principles.

Structure of the group

(this means who will be on the group)

Minimum of 5 Disabled people. There will be people from the planning department and other people as and when needed.

Frequency

(this means how often the group will meet)

The group meets at least 12 times each year for an up to 3 hour meeting during office hours. Otherwise we communicate with each other by email. There may be other meetings as and when needed.

Contract and payment

This is a paid role. Each member will be paid £20 an hour for each meeting that they go to and £20 for each hour of any extra work that is agreed. There will be a contract⁴, which will be an agreement to work for at least 12 months.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for self-identified⁵ Disabled people who live, study, work or volunteer in Hammersmith & Fulham.

We are looking for Disabled people who:

• are familiar with the social model of disability and different impairments⁶.
• can use knowledge and experience to promote inclusive design in the borough.

Skills and experience

You do not need to be qualified in the planning or inclusive design professions to join the IDRP. We can provide training in current building regulations and planning issues in the borough.

To apply we would like you to tell us about what you think you can bring to the group by giving information about your experience and/or skills of:

• Life as a Disabled person in using buildings and public open space.
• Ability to assess architectural plans, and so be comfortable with drawings and illustrations. It would be a big plus if you have a background in this type of work.
• Understand how people move through a building or a public space. If you have a background in this work, we would be very interested in hearing from you.
• Apply legislation, such as the Equality Act 2010, to a variety of real-life circumstances.
• Have easy access to the internet. Lots of our communication and documents are online.
• Being able to use your skills to help the group give good advice on planning applications.
• Co-production (working together) to bring about change.
• Work on committees or steering groups that make sure change is put into place.
• Understanding of the Social Model of Disability, equality, diversity, and human rights.

Selection process

(this means how we decide who gets the role)

We will choose Hammersmith & Fulham Inclusive Design Review Panel members using the information they give about their experience and skills, and how strong that information is. We will make sure that the group can include the diversity of Disabled residents in the borough in its work.

Applications will be looked at by a group including Disabled people and a senior council officer.

What to do if you are interested in this role

Please send us two sides of A4 paper setting out how you meet the skills and experience points in this document.

Let us know if you want to apply for the role in a different way or in a different format.

You can email your application to coproduction@lbhf.gov.uk

If you have any questions, please contact Tara Flood on 07776 672 830 or email coproduction@lbhf.gov.uk

Background and further information

What the IDRP do

The Hammersmith & Fulham Inclusive Design Review Panel have looked at planning applications for the last 10 years or so to provide advice to the council.

The group is looking for Disabled people who live, study, work and volunteer in the borough to work with the existing member of the planning group, Jane Wilmot (Chair).

We look at applications for:

• major developments with 10 or more housing units
• major office developments
• public buildings e.g. schools and colleges, hospitals, GP surgeries, theatres, community centres and sports facilities
• public open space e.g. around housing developments, public buildings, offices, hotel
• changes to shop fronts.

Things we think about when looking at any planning application:

• pedestrian routes across developments
• public open space inside developments
• kerbs and tactile paving at pedestrian crossings
• drop-off points for taxis or visitors
• parking for Blue Badge holders inside development
• shared surfaces (where vehicles and pedestrians share the same space)
• step free access to main entrances etc
• space inside buildings and common areas
• space for wheelchair users
• accessible toilets.

What the IDRP does not think about:

• the height or size of buildings
• housing mix
• coverings for outside walls.
• general highway (streets and pavement) issues.

This is because many other people already do this.

Glossary

1, Planning applications
People must apply to the council for planning permission before they can build new buildings.

2, Social model of accessibility
This is when Disabled people are seen as people with impairments who are 'disabled' by the barriers in society. These barriers discriminate against Disabled people and push us out of society. It is the way society is run and organised that is the problem, not the Disabled person.

3, Human Rights way - UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
This is an international agreement that the government signed up to, to bring about the full rights of Disabled people in the UK.

4, Contract
This means a signed agreement to work together.

5, Self-identified
This is when someone sees themselves as a Disabled person

6, Impairment
There are different types of impairments, some affect the way that a person can move and get around. Others affect how a person can see or hear. Impairments can also affect the way that a person speaks, makes decisions, or remembers things.