What is a Changing Places toilet?

Changing Places toilets provide additional care equipment and facilities to meet complex care requirements required by users, and any carers. They are different from standard accessible toilets, and Changing Places toilets should be an additional accessible facility.

Why are Changing Places facilities required?

Changing Places facilities are typically installed in public venues to ensure that everyone, regardless of their access needs or disability or reliance on the assistance of carers or specialist equipment, can use a toilet facility with dignity and hygienically.

The Changing Places consortium, established in 2005, continues to work tirelessly and campaign to support the rights of people with disabilities. At the heart of the campaign is the call for Changing Places toilets to be installed in all big public spaces so that people can access their community. In July 2020 the government announced that from January 2021, Changing Places facilities are mandatory in all new public buildings within certain parameters. With the help of Government funding through the DLUHC (Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities), we are seeing a huge number of Changing Places toilets being retrofitted into a wide range of venues across the UK.

What size should a Changing Places toilet be?

Changing Places toilets have specific requirements which are laid out in British Standards: BS 8300:2009 recommends that a Changing Places toilet should be at least 12 square metres in size, for instance 3m wide by 4m long, and have a minimum ceiling height of 2.4m. These recommendations safeguard the provision of the right equipment, adequate space and, more importantly, a safe, clean, and accessible environment.

This specification is intended to ensure that larger buildings and complexes meet the needs of disabled people and is recommended for implementation in large airports or railway stations, health and leisure facilities, education establishments, shopping centres and any other key building within a town or city including libraries, town halls, museums, or concert venues.

Find out more in our blog – What size should a changing Places facility be?

What equipment is required in a Changing Places toilet?

People may be limited in their own mobility so need equipment to help them with their toileting, hygiene, and care necessities, and it’s vital that there’s adequate space for a wheelchair and one or two carers.

A Changing Places toilet needs to include specific equipment to meet with minimum standards.

Every Changing Places toilet is required to provide the following equipment:

A height-adjustable adult-sized changing bench that can lift 200kg (31 Stone)
A ceiling track hoist on a XY track system that can lift 200kg (31 Stone)
A privacy screen or curtain
A large basin with a thermostatic tap, preferably mounted to a height-adjustable bracket, placed at least 1m away from a wall
A raised height toilet placed at least 1m away from a wall

The smaller furnishings in a Changing Places toilet can easily be overlooked in the design. Items such as grab rails, clinical waste bin and a colostomy bag shelf are all necessary requirements.

Find out more in our Changing Places project series – Changing Places – what equipment do I need?

What does a compliant Changing Places facility look like?

Watch our video which explains the compliance requirements of a Changing Places install.

What are modular Changing Places?

Modular buildings are a cost-efficient solution for additional space. Completed at a faster rate than traditional builds, a modular option produces less waste and less greenhouse gases.

A modular Changing Places installation may be required if the existing structure or premises cannot accommodate the required regulatory room size or there are planning restrictions. Modular Changing Places toilets are portable and adaptable units that are built off site, transported and positioned where desired to prepared foundations and service connections. An increasing number of public venues and tourist attractions are installing modular Changing Places to improve the visitor experience.

Find out more about modular Changing Places in our blog – What are modular Changing Places?

How much does a Changing Places toilet cost?

The total cost of a Changing Places toilet depends on the venue requirements for structural changes and facility finishes, but equipment costs range between £15,000 – £21,000. This price includes a design package, installation, and testing.

We recommend that Changing Places toilets are included within your early property planning and design discussions to ensure that you can accommodate a Changing Places toilet in the most cost effective manner.

Find out more in our Changing Places project series – How much does a Changing Places toilet cost to install?

Care Spaces is committed to supporting the Changing Places campaign and has contributed to many Changing Places projects – there are now 1,884 Changing Places toilets registered across the UK (data as of 07/07/23), and many more are in planning. You can locate these facilities on the Changing Places map.

Care Spaces and Changing Places toilets

As a trusted Changing Places installer, Care Spaces has plenty of experience in development and installation of Changing Places toilets, working with venues across the UK for the past 20 years. We work in new-build, stand-alone or refurbishment projects, extracting the best value from your space by designing the layout and planning the installation down to the last detail.