Inclusivity Report. Civil Service Live 2015: London. Date: Monday 5 th and Tuesday 6 th October 2015

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1 Inclusivity Report Event: Civil Service Live 2015: London Date: Monday 5 th and Tuesday 6 th October 2015 Time: 08:00-19:00 (Monday 5 th ) 08:00 17:30 (Tuesday 6 th ) Venue: Queen Elizabeth II Centre Broad Sanctuary London SW1P 3EE Tel: Rooms: Ground: Main Entrance, Churchill, Nightingale Level One: Churchill Gallery, Pickwick Level Two: Albert, Victoria, Redgrave, Olivier, Gielgud, Burton Level Three: Britten, Fleming, Whittle, East Room, West Room Level Three Mezzanine: Guild Level Four: Abbey, Rutherford, Moore, Byron, Chaucer, Keats, Burns, Shelley, Wesley, Wordsworth, St. James, Westminster, Level Five: Cambridge, Windsor, Hawking, Darwin, Berners-Lee, Turing Level Six: Mountbatten Civil Service Live will take place on Monday 5 th October and Tuesday 6 th at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre (QEIIC). This all staff-learning event attracts staff from across London and the South East. Individual teams and departments provide the majority of exhibition stands and some learning sessions. This is a full day event comprising a rolling programme of parallel sessions. Individual delegates are asked, prior to attending the event, to book on individual sessions creating their own personalised programme of activities to attend throughout the day. For further information on the full range of activities, please see the full programme by visiting 1

2 The QEIIC is fully accessible and is situated in the city centre served by train, London Underground and Taxi. There is no dedicated parking and limited accessible parking. Delegates with limited mobility arriving by taxi will be stopped at the barrier and should ask the security to let them through to be dropped off at dropped kerb at the front entrance. The day will consist of parallel Plenary, workshop and seminar sessions, exhibition and spot mentoring opportunities. All participants for the event should register on the website to attend the day and any learning sessions they wish to attend. The website provides the facility for disabled delegates to notify organisers of specific needs to enable steps to put these in place to be completed in advance of the day. Where possible, reasonable adjustments will be provided in session rooms, taken from the registration reports that require access provision. Should the event organisers or venue have difficulty in meeting specific needs we will liaise direct with the person. An event App is being produced to provide all participants with details of the event and will provide delegates with a personalised programme of learning sessions they have pre-registered for. Biographies and pre-reading material provided by presenters, exhibition and venue layout will also be available on the app. The App will have expandable text to aid accessibility. The Day Access to the building will be via the Main entrance (ground level). There is cobbled paving leading to the entrance; this has both step access and ramp. Taxis will be able to come through the barrier to be dropped off at the ramped entrance (flat paved) for entry into the Centre. Registration will take place in this entrance foyer where there is access to the cloakroom and disabled toilet. Once registered delegates will move via lift and/or stairs between floors. The main plenary room is situated on the ground floor and the exhibition will be located on floors one, three and five with spot mentoring taking place on the third floor. Over 130 parallel learning sessions will take place each day in 25 locations, all of which are fully accessible. The main plenary room is on the ground level (by registration) along with the first aid room, cloakroom and toilets and accessible toilet. The exhibition will take place on levels one, three and five. There will be a number of theatres within the exhibition 2

3 areas in which headphones will be provided. Toilets and accessible toilets are available on all these levels along with lift and stair access. Sixteen further seminar rooms are between levels one and five that can be accessed via stairs or six lifts. Level six is accessed from the fourth and fifth floor via stairs and one lift (see lifts). There are toilets and accessible toilets on all levels except level six. There will be volunteers in bright orange t-shirts located throughout the event to assist with delegates requiring directions and queries, one in each room. There is good venue signage that will be supplemented with our own to help delegates identify the session rooms they have registered or, and positioned at a suitable height for wheelchair users, where possible. Space for wheelchairs will be available in the plenary and session rooms identified from the registration data. In the plenary room we will arrange for a number of chairs to be removed from the centre aisle for requested wheelchairs numbers. With regard to seminar and workshop rooms and exhibition theatres, we will place the recognised disabled sign sticker on the floor in specific rooms to help secure a designated clearance space for requests from wheelchair users. Due to the rolling programme and popularity of staff attending sessions there is limited time to refresh rooms between sessions and straighten chairs. Every effort will be made to ensure that the wheelchair seating space is kept clear during the first few minutes of each session. Thereafter this area may be filled with staff wishing to attend sessions. All delegates are asked to be on time for their registered sessions to ensure they get their seat. Non-registered delegates will be allowed entry to the sessions, if space is available. Getting there: The QEIIC is a bright modern complex, however there is very limited parking at the venue, but the website has information on recommended parking that can be booked though the their link. The Centre is situated opposite Westminster Abbey and adjacent to Westminster Central Hall. The Centre is close to Westminster and St. James Underground Stations, the former having step free access; both stations are approximately a fiveminute walk. 3

4 There are bus stops close to the Centre on Parliament Square and opposite Westminster Abbey Charing Cross and Victoria BR Stations are less than one mile from QEIIC and Waterloo BR Stations is one mile from QEIIC. It is approximately a 30-minute walk or 10-minute taxi ride. There is entry to the London Underground network from these stations but only Westminster LU offers step-free access. For further information regarding public transport please follow the following links. Ø Ø Ø #SME Access into the Building The QEIIC forecourt is slightly cobbled and there is stair and ramp access to the main door. Taxis will be let through the barrier at the forecourt entrance to the dropoff point where there is ramp access (level) into the building. At the top of the ramp there is a level entrance into QEIIC and registration will take place in the reception area on entry. BSL / Palantypists We will contact individual delegates regarding these requests. As the event will have over 130 individual sessions in 25 locations throughout the day to accommodate these requests we will identify the best solution to take account of individual delegates specific needs. Catering Civil Service Live does not provide free catering at these events but there will be water coolers in the venue or at refreshment stations. There will be a cash bar in the exhibition area on levels three and five where refreshments and snacks can be purchased. There is also a café on the ground floor to the side of registration area. Cloakroom This is situated at ground level, behind registration towards the back of the Centre and will be staffed by the venue. Delegate items left in the cloakroom will be at their own risk. 4

5 Corridors All corridors are accessible in the Centre and volunteers will be located in all rooms to assist delegates during the event. Emergencies Evacuation We are not expecting any fire alarm testing during the event, therefore, should the fire alarm system be activated and it is necessary to evacuate, a verbal announcement will be made via the venue public address system and flashing lights in the larger rooms (Churchill, Britten, Fleming, Whittle and Mountbatten). Delegates should follow instructions from the stewards and make their way to the nearest fire exits. For delegates with obvious or notified mobility restrictions there are several refuge points that are connected (fire-protected) to our Security Control Room. The venue also has a number of evac carry chairs positioned at the entrance to the stairs on all floor levels of stairwells and one of the elevators is a fireman s lift than can be used in the event of an evacuation. First Aid There is an unmanned first aid room located near the cloakroom at ground level. The venue has personnel with first aid training with access to first aid kits. Should delegates feel unwell during the day please advise the event organisers who will radio for first aid support to be provided by the venue. Exhibition This will take place on levels one, three and five. Where possible the gangway between stands will be two metres to allow traffic flow between exhibits; this can be a busy area. There will be a cash bar for refreshments located in the third and fifth level exhibition areas. All stands will be cited on a flat floor or lipped to make them accessible where possible. Exhibitors will be advised to keep aisles surrounding their stand clear at all times and cables securely fastened away from passing traffic. This is a staff event with the majority of contributions from teams and departments who will be bringing existing stands/displays. Their own staff and/or volunteers who will be responsible for their content will staff these. 5

6 This will be a busy area and stands are open for the duration of the event, to give everyone an opportunity to view the Exhibition. Induction Loops There are induction loops in all our designated meeting rooms but not in public and catering areas. The loop system will be identified in the rooms by the recognised accessible symbol. Information Desk (Event) There will be an information desk staffed by volunteers to assist with delegate enquiries on the day. They will also have radio contact with event organisers throughout the day. The location has not been confirmed at this point but will be in one or all exhibition spaces and accessible to all participants. Lifts There are ten lifts in total within the centre, six centre core Lifts (Lifts A) and three side lifts (Lifts B) and that move between levels minus one and five and a single lift (Lift C) that moves between levels four and six. All lifts have braille buttons on internal buttons only, and audio indicators. Dimensions for the lifts are as follows: Location Gap when doors fully open (mm) Width (mm) Depth (mm) Lifts A (6 off, between levels G and 5) Lifts B (3 off, between levels G and 5) Lift C (1 off, between levels 4 and 6) One of the core A lifts will display the recognised disability symbol and whilst not a dedicated lift, this will give priority to delegates with restricted mobility. Lift C will also feature the recognised disability symbol as this is the only access to level six for those with mobility restrictions. Organiser s Office (Event) This is located in the Guild Room on mezzanine level three. This room is accessed via the core lifts (Lifts A). 6

7 There will be times when this room will not be manned and enquiries should be made to the information desk where event organisers can be contacted by radio. Parking The QEIIC has limited parking, however blue badge parking for 6 cars is possible and must be pre-booked based on a first come-first serve basis. Name, car and registration number must be sent to Brett.Alderton@Dods.co.uk to secure one of the six spaces. There are a number of car parks close to the QEIICC for which the venue provides a link to recommended parking (see getting there). These car parks are chargeable and delegates will need to claim back via their own departments. Please click on the following link for car parks close to the Centre Prayer Room There is not a dedicated prayer room at QEIIC, however facilities will be made to provide a prayer room on the day. Volunteers will be able to advise where this is or please ask at the information desk on the day. Presentation / Reading Materials Requests have been made to all presenters to provide their presentations in advance. However delegates should bear in mind that some presenters will bring these on a USB stick on the day. Where we are able to do so we will copies of these pre-event to those registrants that have requested this for them to download and print. Presenters are asked to consider accessibility in preparing their slides / videos. Exhibition literature is the responsibility of the team/department they represent and requests will need to be made at the individual stand for specific materials to be provided should these be required in a different format post event. Programme Civil Service Live is a rolling programme of parallel learning sessions with each session pre-bookable on the registration website to help delegates plan their day. These full day events have a few early morning sessions, however the nature of the 7

8 programme gives flexibility and allow delegates to decide how many sessions they wish to attend. There are four main plenaries during each day lasting 60-minutes and the majority of seminar and workshop sessions run for 45 minutes each with a small number lasting minutes. There is an interval of minutes between sessions and the exhibition is open throughout the day. There will be an event booklet provided on the day, showing the layout of the exhibition, programme for each day and location of toilets. This will be produced in A4 format. An event App is being developed and will be available to download prior to the event to help delegates plan their day and provide further information about the event - this will have expandable text to aid accessibility. Registration This will take place in the main entrance from 08:30. There will be a fast track queue for those with limited mobility, speakers and exhibitors. Delegate have been asked to ensure they have registered on the Civil Service Live website and bring their confirmation letter with them to enable a speedy registration. Room Style: Seating in the rooms will be either theatre or cabaret style. Rooms set cabaret style have a table height of 700mm and exhibition stands that have requested trestle tables are 740mm high. The exhibition theatres will be set theatre style and have a dedicated space for wheelchair users. There are a few standing presentations in the exhibition area for which there will be one or two chairs available with the recognised disability sticker on them to be used at the stand on a first come-first serve basis. Standard conference chairs will be used in all rooms and we will work with individual delegates with specific requests. Requests that are more specialised i.e. medical may require the individual to provide their own adjustment solution so as not to compromise their health further. 8

9 Seeing/Hearing Dogs Assistance dogs are permitted in the venue, however this must be included on the delegate registration in order for the venue to be notified. One or more water bowls, depending on the number of support dogs will be available within the centre at a suitable location. Delegates with assistance dogs will be advised where this is or can be obtained from the information desk. For the comfort of assistance dogs, the nearest accessible green space is outside the Centre, this is accessed via ramp or stairs. Signage There is a good level of signage throughout the building, which we will supplement on the day due to the number of rooms we are using. There will be a programme outside of each room listing the sessions that are taking place and AO size programme situated by the information desk showing the programme of the day this will also be available via the app. Toilets Accessible toilets are situated on all levels except level six. Toilets are fitted with alarms. There are eight accessible toilets situated on the following levels: Ground: 2 Level One: 1 Level Two: 1 Level Three: 2 Level Four: 1 Level Five: 1 Volunteers Volunteers are a valuable resource at Civil Service Live are will be identified by orange t-shirts located throughout the venue and in each room. All volunteers are civil servants who will be able to assist delegates with information and way finding, however volunteers will not be able to provide first aid or with personal care. Volunteers in key areas will have radio contact with the event organisers in the event that first aid or assistance is required. 9

10 Personal support/care assistants are able to attend CS Live to accompanying those delegates who require this and should register on the Civil Service website completing information in the specific needs section. Wheelchairs The venue is not able to provide wheelchairs for the event. Joy Barraclough Chief Events Officer: Civil Service Live Manager Cabinet Office August