Inclusive approach brings state-of-art facilities to historic school
KING JAMES 1 COMMUNITY COLLEGE is building on its “400 years of excellence” to equip students of all ability for current and future generations, via an inclusive approach to ALL their needs.
The Bishop Auckland school, founded in 1605, has now been designated as a physical resource base by the Local Education Authority, and as a result has invested in providing a bespoke toilet and physiotherapy room for its students with physical difficulties. Mr Wilkinson, site manager of the College, worked closely with professionals in both the LEA, healthcare sector and leading specialist equipment supplier Total Hygiene, to create an environment that further helped the students integrate and be as independent as possible.
As a result, the new room includes a Closomat Lima Lift toilet, plus adjustable washbasins and changing tables all supplied by Total Hygiene. The school’s SENCO (Special education needs co-ordinator) observes,
Because of the physical difficulties some of our students have, we needed to undertake some adaptations to conventional toilet facilities, hence the creation of the new room. The students love it! We worked closely with a whole range of professionals the get the best advice, and provide the most flexible facilities that would meet the needs, and increase independence, of not only our current students, but those of the future.
The Closomat Lima Lift is a height adjustable complete automatic shower toilet suite, that in one compact unit incorporates toilet, douching and drying facilities. The Lima Lift looks just like, and is no bigger than, a conventional WC, yet can be automatically adjusted up and down to each user’s personal requirements for both comfort during use and ease of getting on and off, up to a maximum seat height adjustment of 730mm.
The toilet functions as a standard toilet. Hand or body pressure on the lever triggers the flush, as usual, but also operates the warm water douching facility. Releasing of the lever starts the warm air drying process. The system means there is no need to use toilet paper to cleanse, and therefore hand/body contact is eliminated, improving hygiene and reducing risk of spread of germs.
The Closomat Lima Lift incorporates dropdown arm supports, which can be raised prior to the Lift being actuated, or lowered with the Lift. To further assist users, the Lima Lift gives finger-tip control, being actuated by wireless remote control, enabling its use by both able-bodied and less able. A separate, discreetly located over-ride switch enables the Lift to be turned off if required, preventing unnecessary operation.
The changing table is adjustable to enable easy transfer from wheelchair and then raising to a comfortable working height, and folds away when not in use to maximise floorspace. The adjustable washbasin enables both students and therapists to lower or raise the basin to their most comfortable height as required.
Manufactured in the UK, Closomat was the first automatic toilet in the market and is now the UK’s biggest-selling such unit, being installed in locations ranging from individual’s homes to hospitals, hotels, nursing homes, shopping centres, tourist attractions and even on narrowboats.
Total Hygiene provides a comprehensive sales, installation and after sales package, and offers a range of options to enable tailoring of each unit to individual requirements.
