Grimm & Co Access Statement

Please find information below about accessibility at Grimm & Co.

Although we are always looking to improve our access provision, our building is very old and has some limitations. The information below includes a detailed description of our space and the facilities we can currently offer.

We are committed to including all young people in all our workshops wherever possible. Please do get in touch if you think a young person hoping to attend a workshop would need anything specific from us that isn’t covered below.

Our priority is always the safety and wellbeing of young people and unfortunately there may be times when our facilities and capacity can’t adequately meet their needs. We are always looking to review and improve upon this.

If you would like any further information or have any questions, our access officer Meg Harvey would love to hear from you. You can contact them at info@grimmandco.co.uk or by calling Grimm & Co on 01709 829750. We will always try as hard as possible to address any barriers you might face if you are thinking of visiting us.

Grimm & Co is located at Ship Hill Rotherham S60 2HG.   You can find information on getting to Grimm & Co Getting here.

 

Entrance:

On arrival at Ship Hill, you will need to enter the car park through the black double gates on the left-hand side of the building.

Photograph of the top of the drive into the car park, showing the black gates and the side of the building.

There is a staff entrance on your right-hand side with a blue door.  This door is 99.5 cm wide. The What3Words reference of this door is toys.kinds.cake.

Photograph of a blue door with an arch.

On arrival, please press buzzer number 4 or call the office on 01709 829750.  If you are attending a workshop, there is likely to be a member of staff waiting to meet you.

Please be aware of moving vehicles within the car park.

If you are here for a meeting, you will be asked to sign in on the visitor’s sheet.  If attending a workshop, the member of staff will complete a register and ensure that all young people have been dropped off and signed in.

Inside (getting to workshop space):

There are eight (8) stairs down to the ground floor.  These are 86cm wide and have one hand rail on the left hand side (as you look down the stairs).  If you have difficulty with stairs, we do have an alternative access route (see below – Stair Free route).

A photograph of wooden stairs leading down to a wooden door. There is a banister on the side.

Turn right and go through a door that is 77cm wide, with the accessible toilet and Ladies toilets in front of you.  Turn immediately left.  You will then go through a second door (also measuring 77cm wide.)

Proceed down the corridor and go through another door, also 77cm wide.

The workshop space is on your right hand side, through another door, measuring 80cm.  This room has a large window on the left hand side with frosted glass and curtains, and a wooden floor.  Visitors and young people will be escorted to this room by a member of staff.

 

Stair Free route:

If you have difficulty with stairs, please call 01709 829750 on your approach so that a Grimm staff member can come and greet you.  You will enter through the red double doors at the front of the building.  The What3Words reference for this door is shovel.successes.stage.  There is level access to these doors from the street (at the top of the car park entrance).

A photograph of the front of a gothic style building, with red double doors.

Come through the red double doors and turn left through entrance foyer.  You will then turn immediately right, through a door measuring 90cm wide.  There is a ramp with a handrail on either side.  This measures 108cm wide.

Proceed across the large ground floor, and continue off to the left to the area with the beanstalk in.  Turn right, down a ramp, through a door measuring 90cm wide.   Go across the landing, passing the stairs on your left hand side.  Turn left and face the lift.

This is a platform lift with a glass door.  The entrance to the lift measures 90cm.  Hold the button marked B/O until you arrive on the lower ground floor.  You will exit the lift via a corridor measuring 86cm.  This may be a tight manoeuvre using some mobility aids.

Photograph of a lift, with an evac chair outside.

Go through a door ahead of you that is 77cm wide, with the accessible toilet and Ladies toilets in front of you.  Turn immediately left.  You will then go through a second door (also measuring 77cm wide.)

Proceed down the corridor and go through another door, also 77cm wide.

The workshop space is on your right hand side, through another door, measuring 80cm.  This room has a large window on the left hand side with frosted glass and curtains, and a wooden floor.  Visitors and young people will be escorted to this room by a member of staff.

 

Toilet facilities:

Grimm & Co’s lower ground floor has a ladies, gents and an accessible toilet.

Young people attending workshops will be asked to use the accessible toilet.

The accessible toilet is at the end of the corridor, on the right-hand side as you enter the building.  There is a toilet, sink and baby changing table.  There is a red pull cord on the left of the toilet, and two handles.  One is fixed, and one is a ‘lift to lower’.

The Ladies toilet contains two narrow cubicles, and is accessed through two doors, each measuring 80cm.  There are two sinks outside the toilet cubicles.  There is a sanitary bin located in the right-hand toilets and sanitary items available.

The Gents toilet is a single cubicle with toilet and sink.  The door is 64cm wide.

Currently the closest Changing Places toilet is located at Clifton Park. We are excited to open our own changing Places toilet shortly.

 

Workshops:

Grimm & Co have ear defenders available for anyone who needs them, and we also have a small collection of sensory/stim toys available for use.

We don’t currently have any staff who are able to communicate using BSL and we do not have an induction loop available.  When we move into the space fully, these will be available.

We have eight digital tablets available for any visitors that find it easier to communicate this way. Please inform us in advance you require this.

Food and drinks are served during workshops. This is normally water/squash and a choice of biscuit. Biscuits are always nut free. There is space on registration forms to note down any food allergies attendees might have and you can also discuss this with us in more detail by email or telephone.

Young people are only able to bring their own food and drink to workshops if it is part of a special diet.

Use of prescription medicines is allowed if you share details of this with us in advance. There is space on the workshop registration form to let us know about this, and you can discuss it with us in more detail by email or telephone.

Please be aware that construction work is currently taking place on side, so there is some possibility of noise in the building.

 

Emergency Evacuation procedure:

If you have any access needs, please let us know in advance, so that we can complete a full risk assessment and PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan).

Staff are trained in Evacuation Chair procedures.  There is an Evacuation Chair located on each floor.  The one on the Lower Ground Floor is a climbing chair, and can be used to go up or down stairs.  Information on the use of these chairs will be included and explained in a PEEP.

There are Emergency Call points in the refuge points on all three floors, located in the stairwells.  These will allow the user to contact the main exit/fire point in case of emergency.

Photograph of an Emergency call point mounted on the wall, next to a toilet door.

If there is a fire alarm during your time in Grimm & Co, the alarm will sound in a long continuous tone and the fire alarms will flash red.  A staff member will lead you out of the closest fire exit and to the muster point, which is in the open square outside the Town Hall.  Staff will be aware of any visitor requiring evacuation support, previously listed in a PEEP.  If you require any additional assistance on the day, please make yourself known to staff immediately.