Wakefield Museums and Castles

Name of museum: Wakefield Museums & Castles

Name of governing body: Wakefield Council

Policy review procedure:  This policy will be reviewed at least once every five years.

Deadline for next review: April 2028

1.1  The Access Policy outlines the framework within which Wakefield Museums & Castles provides access to our venues, historic sites, collections and services.

Wakefield Museums & Castles is committed to maximising access for everyone, regardless of ability, age, gender, cultural or social background, sexual orientation, faith, language, location or wealth, by minimising or removing barriers that can prevent people from engaging with our venues, historic sites, collections and services.  We will work towards providing an inclusive and welcoming service, we will continually reassess and respond to the needs of our visitors and potential visitors, and we will make ‘access for all’ a part of everyday practice.

We recognise that access is a complex issue that must be addressed through the actions of the organisation as a whole, and that access provision benefits everyone, not just those with specific needs.

1.2  This policy should be read in conjunction with the following documents:

• Wakefield Museums & Castles Business Plan, 2023-2026
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity (EDI) Action Plan, 2023
• Audience Development Plan
• Learning Strategy, 2023-2026
• Exhibition Development Framework
• Volunteer Policy
• Collections Development Policy, 2023-2028

2.1  Wakefield Council’s Museums & Castles Service (the Service) collects, safeguards and makes accessible a collection of approximately 112,000 objects that document and record the human, social, and cultural history of the Wakefield district from prehistory to present day. The Service also safeguards and makes accessible two Scheduled Monuments: Pontefract Castle and Sandal Castle.  We want to enable residents and visitors to the district to explore our object collection and historic sites for inspiration, learning, and enjoyment. We are committed to developing our object collection in consultation with our communities and to the exploration of new methods of access and participation, particularly to our stored object collection.

2.2  Overall our mission is to deliver a modern, high quality and valued service that contributes to Wakefield Council’s Corporate Plan – Building a Fairer Future:

• Places to be proud, which includes continual investment in our town centres, improving transport links, cracking down anti-social behaviour and developing our rich cultural and leisure offer.
• An economy that works for everyone with a focus on bringing more well-paid jobs to the district, more affordable housing and ensuring everyone can achieve a decent standard of living.
• Better and healthier lives by helping people live independently in their own homes and tackling abuse or neglect.
• Thriving children and families by creating the best possible learning environment and making sure that children and families receive the right support at the right time.
• A greener Wakefield district by continually investing in parks and open spaces and doing our bit to tackle climate change.

3.1   This policy covers provision at our museum sites (Castleford, Pontefract and Wakefield Museums); our Scheduled Monuments (Pontefract and Sandal Castles); our Museum Collections Store; current and future Museum Hubs (currently at South Elmsall Library and Featherstone Library); through our website and other digital activities, including social media; and in other venues where we deliver community or outreach programmes (such as schools, colleges, community venues etc).

This policy relates to access by our visitors/users, and does not cover access in relation to staff, freelancers or contractors.

Access - When we refer to access, we mean the opportunity to engage with our venues, historic sites, collections, content, programmes, services and expertise. There are a number of key barriers to access:

• Attitudinal – e.g. some people may have a lack of interest in, or awareness of, our museum service or may perceive it as ‘not for them’.

• Intellectual – e.g. some people may find our museum service too specialist; some may have learning disabilities that affect their ability to engage with the museum service; or some may not be able to read or speak English.

• Cultural – e.g. some people may feel that our museum service is not relevant to them or does not reflect their cultural and social heritage, or their interests.

• Economic – e.g. some people may not be able to afford to visit our museums or historic sites (for example, due to transport costs) or take part in our charged-for programmes.

• Geographic – e.g. some people may live too far away to visit our museums or historic sites.

• Physical/Sensory – e.g. some people may have physical disabilities, limited mobility, hearing or visual impairments, or other conditions that prevent them from accessing our venues, historic sites, websites and digital outputs or programmes.

• Technological – e.g. some people may not have access to the internet or a mobile phone.

5.1  The Museums Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity (MEDI) working group was established in 2022, and has representatives from across the museum service. The MEDI group is responsible for developing and monitoring an EDI Action Plan, with the aim of maximising access to our venues, historic sites, collections and services. The EDI Action Plan is aligned to the Wakefield Council EDI Action Plan. It is informed by accessibility audits of our venues and historic sites, which are carried out regularly (with the most recent in 2022), and consultation with external partners, such as the West Yorkshire Sight Loss Council.

We are committed to an audience-centred approach, developing a programme of exhibitions, events, activities and digital content that is designed to involve and engage people from a wide range of backgrounds and all sectors of the Wakefield district’s diverse communities.

6.1   Strategy and Procedures

• We recognise that we have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 Act to consider barriers to access for disabled people and we will continue to develop the Access Policy in line with the standards required by the Act.

• We will continue to align our own Access Policy and EDI Action Plan with Wakefield Council’s EDI Plan.

• We will include specific access aims within our Wakefield Museums & Castles Business Plan.

• We will invest in access improvements by assigning resources (including budget) each year. 

• We will make continuous improvements and consider access issues in all service developments and projects to reach a more diverse and representative audience.

• We will demonstrate visible leadership and commitment to EDI.

• We will recognise and ensure that EDI is everyone’s responsibility.

6.2   Audiences and Consultation

• We are committed to understanding who our visitors/users and non-visitor/users are, through collecting and analysing data.

• We are committed to developing and diversifying our audiences through our EDI Action Plan, our Audience Development Plan and our programming.

• We will regularly consult and evaluate our services with visitors/users and use this information to ensure our services meet their needs.

• We will consult with non-visitors/users or less-engaged visitors/users to identify barriers to participation.

• We will consult with partners and external experts to better understand the needs of different groups.

6.3   Communities and outreach

• We are committed to actively engaging with diverse communities across the Wakefield district. We will work with communities to foster good relations, eliminate discrimination and embed equalities in policy and practice.

• We will be outward-looking and work with partners to better understand our communities and to reach out to communities that may not have engaged with us in the past.

• We will embed co-production with communities into all aspects of our work, wherever possible.

• We will be targeted in our approach to collections development, to ensure our collections are representative of, and relevant to, our communities and we will reflect the social and cultural diversity of the district in the displays and services provided.

• We will maintain outreach options for those unable or unwilling to visit our sites, including schools outreach, community outreach, loans and reminiscence boxes, and attendance at community events.

• We will provide volunteer opportunities that are appealing and accessible to volunteers from diverse backgrounds, from across our district, including remote opportunities for those unable to volunteer on-site. The recruitment and management of volunteers is guided by our Volunteer Policy. 

6.4   Venues & Sites

• We are committed to providing full access to all areas of our premises and sites. There are some limitations due to the physical constraints of our buildings and sites but we will work towards the provision of full physical access at all sites (including ramps, lifts and adapted toilets) wherever it is reasonable and possible to do so.

• We will implement a programme of accessibility improvements to our sites, based on the Access Audits carried out in 2022.

• We will ensure our exhibitions, displays, interactives and on-gallery activities are physically and intellectually accessible to as many people as possible.

• We will offer quiet and relaxed openings of our sites, for people who prefer a calmer experience. We provide pop-up tents for anyone who needs a calm space in our sites.

6.5   Collections

• We are committed to increasing public access to the collections and collections information, and to increasing knowledge and understanding of our collections and historic sites.  

• We will provide varied means of access to and interpretation of the collections, including permanent displays, temporary exhibitions, loans, object handling, touring displays, events, activities and digital content.

• We will encourage and support research into the collections by staff and members of the public. Stored collections are available to view and research by appointment with the collections or curatorial teams.

• We will encourage wider access to the collections through digital content, including our blog, social media and Collections Online pages.

• We will encourage interaction and the sharing of knowledge and expertise between museum staff, members of the public, researchers, schoolchildren, museum visitors and our communities.

• We will respond to enquiries from the public about our collections or the heritage of the Wakefield district in a timely and helpful way.

6.6    Information and Interpretation

• We are committed to considering the needs of our visitors/users when preparing and presenting collections information and interpretation in our displays, exhibitions and digital content.

• We will provide different levels and formats of information and interpretation in our displays and exhibitions to suit a range of audiences, abilities and interest-levels. This may include panels, captions, Find Out More sheets, large print, film (including subtitles), audio, audio description, interactives and Makaton signs. Development of interpretation for displays and exhibitions is guided by our Exhibition Development Framework. 

• We will ensure that all information and communications follow best practice and our guidelines for text and style, which include guidance on contrast, height, font size etc. (see the Exhibition Development Framework).

• English is the main language used across the Wakefield district, but we are aware other languages are also used. Whilst we will continue to use English as our primary language in the delivery of our services, our EDI Access Plan will consider targeted translation of core information into other languages (e.g. Polish) in our sites or our digital content.

• We will keep the public informed of our collections, displays, exhibitions, events and activities through appropriate communications, including our social media, blog, and the Wakefield Council website.

• We will provide information about access provision on our pages on the Wakefield Council website.

6.7    Learning, Programming and Events

• We are committed to delivering a learning programme (including informal and formal learning) that focuses on lifelong learning and inclusivity.

• We will offer a varied and changing learning and events programme, which recognises that people have different learning styles, abilities, levels of knowledge, and experience.

• We will provide programmes that are tailored to the needs and requirements of specific target groups and audiences: for example SEND audiences.

• We will provide a range of suitable handling objects and materials for different audiences and levels of ability.

• We will offer online talks, as well as in-person talks, to enable those who are unable or unwilling to travel to access this aspect of our programming.

6.8   Visitor Services

• We are committed to providing a friendly and inclusive welcome to all of our visitors/users, and all staff are responsible for this. All visitors/users of our services will be treated with equal respect and welcomed according to their individual needs.

• We will work within the framework of Wakefield Council’s customer care standards.

• Where possible, our sites will provide baby changing facilities, access and parking for pushchairs, wheelchair access, and seating for the comfort and ease of visitors.

• Where possible, our sites will provide signage and navigation to suit a range of needs and we will respond to requests made by the public regarding information required in alternative formats.

6.9   Staff Development and Training

• We are committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that demonstrates inclusive behaviours and values.

• All council staff will receive EDI training as part of their induction to Wakefield Council.

• We will develop a programme of training for all Wakefield Museums & Castles staff, including EDI training in topics such as hidden disabilities, Makaton, sight loss, neurodiversity, dementia awareness, LGBTQ+ awareness, amongst others.

• We will provide staff with the opportunity to feedback on access developments and issues, through our MEDI group, 121s with line managers, and our Ideas Bank.

• We will use inclusive recruitment practices for our volunteers and student placements, and endeavour to influence the wider council in inclusive recruitment.

6.10  Financial

• All museums and castles venues have free admission.

• We provide all of our drop-in activities free of charge to ensure everyone can enjoy our services. For our charged-for services, we regularly benchmark our fees and charges against other similar organisations.

• Volunteer expenses are paid, in line with our Volunteer Policy.