Recommended improvements to the blue badge application process in Bracknell came closer this evening when they were endorsed by the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Commission.
Councillors have scrutinised the application process and made seven recommendations to make the process clearer, easier and more suitable for a wider range of people.
Five recommendations are already being considered by the council’s adult social care department, which is carrying out its own review of the process. These include:
- reviewing the application form so it reflects conditions which cross the visible/non-visible criteria, recognises disabilities which vary from one day to another, provides clear information and uses technology to make it simple, and
- including a wider range of psychological, medical and neurological expertise in the process.
The other two recommendations are to look at blue badge refusal letters to make sure they show understanding and are easy to understand, and to create local guidance that explains the Bracknell Forest approach to assessment. These will be considered by the council’s Executive in September.
The blue badge scheme for parking permits was extended to include non-visible disabilities in September 2019. The Wellbeing and Finance Panel reviewed the application process to understand whether changes were needed to better reflect the wider scope of the scheme. They were particularly interested in any difference in approval rates between visible and non-visible disabilities and any reasons for this.
The Panel heard from local press, residents with experience of applying for a blue badge and council officers responsible for the process. They also heard from a local support organisation and from other councils about their approaches.
Cllr Malcolm Tullett, chair of the Wellbeing and Finance Panel, said,
““Blue badges can be a lifeline for residents leading difficult lives. The inclusion of people with non-visible disabilities in the scheme extended that support to even more of our vulnerable residents.
“The review objectives were ‘expectation, explanation and fairness’ and I am confident our recommendations will help to make this complex process clearer and suitable for a wider range of people.”