CIC awards HMRC its eighth Inclusive Environments Recognition

HMRC has already received recognition for its Government Hubs at 3 Arena Central – Birmingham; Westfield Avenue – Stratford, London; 7 & 8 Wellington Place – Leeds; 3 Glass Wharf – Bristol; and the UK Government Hubs Ty William Morgan – Cardiff; Queen Elizabeth House – Edinburgh; and Erskine House – Belfast.

CIC’s ‘Inclusive Environments Recognition’ has a two-stage approach. The first recognises those organisations that are following the Essentials Principles Guide and honours them with a certificate valid for a five-year period, which HMRC was awarded in 2018. The second stage acknowledges individual buildings or projects undertaken by organisations that have already received recognition at an organisational level from CIC.

The Essential Principles Guide for Clients, Developers and Contractors was launched in 2018. In order for projects to be considered for recognition from CIC, organisations must submit the following evidence to show that they support the six essential principles:

1. Appointment of an Inclusive Environmental Champion at Project Level
2. Evidence that your Inclusive Design Strategy has been incorporated within the project brief and project budget
3. An example of how the project procurement process has addressed inclusive design
4. Evidence of the use of Access and Inclusive Design expertise and of consultation with diverse users
5. Evidence of monitoring and appraisal of completed projects to assess outcomes and successes in creating accessible and inclusive environments
6. List of any constraints that have prevented implementation of your Inclusive Design Strategy for example physical constraints of an existing building

Colin Casse – Director of Estates & Locations Programme, HMRC said: “This is the eighth of HMRC’s new workplaces to receive CIC Inclusive Environments Recognition, demonstrating our commitment to providing a welcoming, flexible and inclusive working environment for everyone, and we are delighted that CIC continue to recognise this ambition. We look forward to continuing our partnership with CIC and the recognition that our estate reflects the needs of our workforce as we collaborate to deliver great services to our customers.”

CIC Chief Executive Graham Watts OBE said of HMRC’s latest recognition; “Congratulations once again to HMRC for providing an outstanding inclusive workplace for employees and visitors alike. It has been a privilege to visit the sites now in person which is something we had been unable to do previously due to COVID. Seeing the spaces in person and the facilities first hand helps amplify the fantastic work HMRC are doing on this agenda.”

If you would like further information about the CIC Inclusive Environments Recognition Scheme please contact Liz Drummond at Ldrummond@cic.org.uk