June 2014

Inclusive Design – a lasting Olympic and Paralympic Legacy 

Welcome to the third Built Environment Professional Education Project (BEPE) blog.  

BEPE, inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is part of the 10 year project to realise a lasting Olympic and Paralympic legacy.  It aims to embed inclusive design into the education and training of built environment professionals.   

This blog looks at the progress being made by the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) and the facilities management profession.  

Supportive Statement
BIFM published a very supportive statement along with 6 other professional institutions last year.  BIFM recognises that the role of the facilities management professional is crucial as they are at the forefront of making the buildings that we work, relax and are entertained in accessible to all.  Their role helps improve the lives of disabled individuals through improved access and workplace conditions.  

BIFM’s Chief Executive Gareth Tancred sits on the BEPE Project Board and is personally very committed to the project and passionate about FM’s role.  FM in the way that it builds and manages our environments to be inclusive can make such powerful differences to the individuals involved and ultimately to business. An example of this is showcased with this video on RBS and how a successful inclusion programme can help recruit and retain talent.  View the video here (http://www.businessnews.itn.co.uk/Facilities%20Management/171277/rbs-shares-how-the-successful-inclusion-programme-can-help-recruit-and-retain-talent) 

Facilities Show
I had the pleasure of sharing the platform with Gareth in the Keynote Theatre at the Facilities Show in the ExCel in London last week.  We talked about the ambitions for the BEPE project and how embedding inclusive design and access management learning into assessed training will give facilities management professionals the confidence and skills to challenge poor, and deliver excellent, accessibility.  

Our talk was reported by FM World (see http://www.fm-world.co.uk/news/fm-industry-news/inclusive-design-a-priority-for-fms/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=).

Changing educational requirements
BIFM is fully committed to working to make access and inclusion second nature for all facilities management professionals.  Changes to the Facilities Management Professional Standards  have been worked up and are being introduced to the overarching framework.  The aim is to make ‘Managing Accessibility and Inclusion’ a separate component so that all FM professionals have a standard to strive for and attain.  

The next step will be to develop a unit on managing accessibility and inclusion for the FM qualifications, so that all FMs can undertake specific learning as part of the qualification.  
This build’s on the Institute’s existing training and guidance materials on the subject.  

This good progress is an inspiration and demonstrates what can be achieved in a short time with the right commitment and attitude.  

For Further Information on the BEPE Project contact:
Julie Fleck MRTPI OBE
BEPE Project Lead
Email: julie.fleck@dwp.gsi.gov.uk 
Twitter: @inspiredby2012 or @ODIgovuk