Third Inclusive Environment Recognition from CIC for HMRC

CIC is delighted to award HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) ‘Inclusive Environments Recognition’ for their application of the CIC'S Essential Principles for creating accessible and inclusive environments to Erskine House in Belfast. This is their third recognition at project level in the space of only seven months after Queen Elizabeth House in Edinburgh and the Bristol Government Hub.

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

Colin Cassé, HMRC’s Estates Locations Programme Director, said; “This is the third of HMRC’s new Government Hubs to receive CIC Inclusive Environment at Project Level accreditation demonstrating that building great places to work for everyone is a key objective for us as we transform our estate. Erskine House is a modern workspace built using our inclusive design standard, creating a great place to work for our colleagues by accommodating their requirements. We look forward to continuing our partnership with CIC and the recognition that our estate reflects the needs of our workforce.”

CIC Inclusive Environments Champion Tony Burton said of HMRC’s third successful project; “We applaud HMRC for the continued work they are doing around the inclusivity agenda and it is inspiring to see even more of their developments setting the bar for creating inclusive spaces for all users.”

If your organisation is interested in CIC Inclusive Environments Recognition please contact Liz Drummond (Ldrummond@cic.org.uk) for further information.