HMRC’s new Edinburgh office receives Inclusive Environment Recognition

CIC is delighted to announce that it has granted HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) ‘Inclusive Environments Recognition’ for their application of the CIC'S Essential Principles for creating accessible and inclusive environments to their project at Queen Elizabeth House Edinburgh.

CIC’s ‘Inclusive Environments Recognition’ has a two-stage approach. The first of these 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 to 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

CIC Inclusive Environments Champion Tony Burton said of this project certifications; “We at CIC were delighted that HMRC was the first organisation to receive Inclusive Environments Recognition Certification at an organisational level. For them to now also be the first organisation recognised at project level for their development of Queen Elizabeth House in Edinburgh shows their commitment to being accessible and inclusive for all their users. We want to congratulate HMRC for this innovative work they are carrying out and look forward to seeing it demonstrated on many more of their buildings.”

Stuart Horne, HMRC’s Deputy Director Design and User Experience, said; “We regard inclusion as a key driver for creating great productive workplaces. Not only does this mean the make-up of our workforce will more closely reflect that of our customers, allowing us to serve them better, but importantly it enables our colleagues to be comfortable bringing their whole selves to the office, allowing them to do their best work. We appreciate the industry leading guidance available from CIC and recognition that our Programme’s work, including on design and user experience, is delivering a massive step up in the provision of inclusive workspaces, including in Queen Elizabeth House, Edinburgh”

For further information on the CIC Inclusive Environments Recognition Certification scheme please click here.