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Installing a hygiene room in an educational environment is proving to have positive benefits, in the popularity of the faculty and the quality of pastoral care.
Leading disabled toileting solutions provider Clos-o-Mat is seeing a growing number of schools utilizing its expertise for the supply and installation of a hygiene room, which is recommended as good practice under the Department for Education’s BB102. And several of those that have already installed such a facility are reporting back that they are seeing a growth in pupil and student requests to attend the establishment.
“Latest statistics reveal that the number of disabled children has increased by 62% in the past 25 years, to almost 800,000. Some 150,000 (equivalent to 60%) of statemented children are now in mainstream schooling. Over 20,000 students have a disability – almost 6% of the student population. Legally, Statutory Instrument No 2 specifies the number of toilets that pupils MUST have, and lays down a minimum of 1 toilet for every 20 pupils over the age of 5, and the number of toilet facilities must be adequate having regard to age, gender, and any special requirements,” explains Robin Tuffley, Cllos-o-Mat marketing manager.
“We are unique in being able to offer valid design advice, then supply, install, commission, and then service all the equipment for a hygiene room- whether a basic one with a mobile hoist, conventional WC, fixed changing bench and fixed basin, through to a comprehensive room with ceiling track hoist, height adjustable changing bench and basin, and a Clos-o-Mat ‘wash and dry’ toilet.”
Bishop David Brown School in Woking, and Wakefield College are just two seeing the benefits after using Clos-o-Mat to provide their hygiene rooms.
Richard Charles, Bishop David Brown’s business manager, explained, “We are only a small school with some 520 pupils. We have a new student who is a wheelchair user, and upgraded the accessible toilet to enable them to participate as fully as possible in school life. Because we’ve installed the equipment, we already have other disabled students coming next year!”
A spokesperson for Wakefield College further added, “We are showing a 1% increase a year in the number of learners who declared a disability. Our inclusive accommodation strategy aims to ensure that physical access is a major priority in all new developments. The provision of the hygiene rooms has been a major benefit to the students: the rooms are used every hour of every College day!”
Clos-o-Mat ( www.clos-o-mat.com)is the UK’s largest supplier and manufacturer of disabled toileting equipment. Its Clos-o-Mat Palma Vita ‘wash and dry’ toilet is the only one of its kind manufactured in the UK; since the concept was first introduced 50 years ago, over 40,000 have been installed, some of which are still in daily use 30 years after first being fitted.
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