Read our top tips for people applying for a Blue Badge who aren't online and case studies from three councils helping to break down those barriers.
The aim of the Blue Badge Scheme is to help people with severe mobility problems caused by visible and non-visible disabilities to access goods and services, by allowing them to park close to their destination. The scheme is open to eligible people irrespective of whether they are travelling as a driver or as passenger.
Age UK recently published a report that sets out the difficulties older and disabled people face when trying to apply for a Blue Badge for parking for people with disabilities, if they do not have access to a computer or are not ‘computer savvy’. The report highlights the need for councils to offer alternative ways to support people to access local services.
The LGA has spoken to a number of councils who offer alternative means of support to residents to access Blue Badges and we have identified three case studies and some ‘top tips’.
Top tips
- Recognise that under the Public Sector Equality Duty public bodies have to consider all individuals when carrying out their day-to-day work – in shaping policy, in delivering services and in relation to their own employees. It also requires that public bodies have due regard to the need to:
• eliminate discrimination
• advance equality of opportunity
• foster good relations between different people when carrying out their activities.
- Ensure that alternative ways to apply for a badge as well as support to apply is offered within the council. Ensure that this is clearly communicated, and that council staff are aware, particularly in key departments of parking, social care, information, and advice, first point of contact and libraries.
- Recommend that councils support library services to offer training to staff to help complete the forms and develop library guidance on completing the form. This should include how library staff will ensure applicants bring correct documentation and credit card, and support applicants with the practical process of online completion and ensure confidentiality.
- Recommend that libraries or other contact points are enabled to have an appointment system as the process can be time consuming and people will need documentation scanned.
- Recommend libraries or other contact points are provided with a crib sheet with some basic questions to ascertain eligibility before they make an appointment for the customer.
- Recommend libraries or other contact points have a private room available where possible to help complete the application.
- Recommend that the Council Blue Badge team engage with libraries or other contact points so that they can share information and refer people who need assistance.
- Ensure that libraries are provided with a digital camera or laptop to take and upload photographs, and a printer for those people requiring a copy for their records.
- Ensure local Voluntary Community and Social Enterprises have capacity and skills to offer support to complete the form.
- Communicate the offer of support clearly to the community.
Case studies
London Borough of Redbridge
Redbridge Council have on average two to three customers per library per week who need support with Blue Badge applications, depending on the size of the library. In 2022/2023 library staff helped a total of 310 people with Blue Badge applications. Redbridge have 11 libraries in the borough but most of the help with online applications is concentrated at nine of these libraries.
The process is that customers need to make appointment for 1-1 support. When booking the appointment, staff will always inform the customer that they offer digital support with the process, rather than advice on what they should write in the application.
The support offered is publicised via the Council’s Customer Contact Centre or self-referral. People generally find out through friends and family that they can get support with the form at their local library.
Appointment systems rather than ad-hoc support is recommended as the appointments do take time. It also allows staff to tell the customer in advance what information and additional documents they need to bring with them. The appointments also help set expectations at an early stage.
Applicants are informed that they will need to bring in certain documents and information to the appointment. Staff also explain that any payment information (i.e., credit card details) will have to be added by the customer themselves and that staff are not permitted to enter this sensitive data under any circumstance - if the customer is unable to do this, staff will suggest that they bring someone with them who can do this. At the beginning of the appointment, staff will show the customer a disclaimer and ask that the customer signs.
1-1 support is delivered by volunteers and library staff, hence why customers must make an appointment so that it can be resourced properly as the appointments take on average 1-1.5 hours each time. Staff need access to scanning / printing facilities during the session and where possible, staff arrange a private room or otherwise conduct the appointment in a quiet part of the library to give the customer some privacy.
When the library service first took this on from the Blue Badge team at Redbridge Council, staff received training from the Blue Badge Team. Library Managers now do this training with all new staff and volunteers. They have a crib sheet with some basic questions to ascertain eligibility before they make an appointment for the customer.
Contact: Anita Luby, Head of Cultural Services, Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure. Email: [email protected]
West Northamptonshire
West Northamptonshire have provided alternative ways to support people with Blue Badge applications for over a decade. Through their ‘Peoples Network’ offer they provide assisted digital support for any council/government related transactions online where a resident or their carer do not have the equipment, internet access, skills or confidence.
The ‘Peoples Network’ is the name given to the public PC access offered in most public libraries. There is a link to the council’s homepage on the desktop of all these computer terminals and the Blue Badge application can be linked to directly from the website.
There are currently 21 digital buddies across the libraries, but as with all volunteer roles this flexes as new volunteers join and old move on. The role generally supports anyone who needs to build confidence online or need help with a specific transaction. They are trained on GDPR, Blue Badge and Bus pass applications as part of their inductions and they are supported by the wider library team.
Council web pages recommend that those needing help call in at their local library where they will be able to access the support that they need to complete the application. The customer call centre also advises them where their nearest library is to support them.
Due to the complex nature of the online Blue Badge process, customers are often booked in for a session with a digital buddy volunteer as it can take up to 45 minutes to complete the online form and other tasks such as upload a photo. Trained Library Officers (known as customer advisers) assist with completing the form, taking, and uploading an eligible photograph and checking relevant paperwork.
Part of the customer advisers induction process is to be trained in supporting with Blue Badge/Bus Pass applications and enquiries. This involves them reading about the policy and process, observing other staff completing applications and then being shadowed to do applications themselves. There are also library volunteers who are trained in the same way. Particular attention is paid to the handling of personal data and GDPR to ensure that customers, Staff and volunteers are protected.
Some West Northamptonshire libraries have tablets that can be used by staff/customers in the library, and these have the added bonus of being able to photograph proof of eligibility documents and identity photographs and upload them directly. The system automatically wipes any data from the tablet once returned to the docking station making this a quick and safe way for customers to self-serve or staff/volunteers to assist.
In the last financial year the Council supported 3,876 applications across 33 libraries in North and West Northamptonshire so an average of around 300 per month.
Resource wise, all libraries require digital cameras to take and upload the photographs to the people’s network. We do also require a cohort of digital buddy volunteers as these applications can be fairly lengthy and staff aren’t always able to support for this length of time.
Contact: Carl Dorney, Head of Libraries, Museums and Community Hubs, Communities and Opportunities. Email: [email protected]
Norfolk County Council
Whilst Norfolk County Council are proud of the very high digital uptake they have achieved, they are committed to retaining non-digital routes for Blue Badge applications for their residents who do not have access, confidence, or a support network to apply online.
Paper copies of application forms can be obtained from any Norfolk library, and many libraries have Digital Volunteers that can assist applicants with using computers in the libraries. When paper applications are completed and returned, all paperwork is scanned onto and uploaded to our Blue Badge systems, so the applicant receives the same level of service as those applying online.
Their Customer Service Centre has a dedicated Blue Badge telephone line, where agents fully trained in the Blue Badge service can provide guidance for applicants at any stage of the process. Applications can be completed over the telephone for the most vulnerable applicants.
Norfolk County Council are committed to working closely with partners and third sector organisations to maximise the support that can be offered to its residents. An example being “Community Connectors”, who are employed by the district and borough councils within Norfolk. Community Connectors will support applicants through all stages of the process. While often based at GP surgeries, they will also provide support in applicant’s homes if appropriate. Norfolk County Council supports these officers by providing a direct line into the Blue Badge team and meeting regularly with them to share best practice and increase understanding of the national Blue Badge guidance. The authority provides guidance to charities who assist members of the public, with a recent example being visits from Blue Badge management to Age UK to help the advisers better understand the scheme.
The authority works especially closely with organisations supporting people at the end of life, such as Macmillan and the Big C, they have developed a fast-track process so that most applications received from these sources are actioned on the day of receipt.
As well as helping customers with non-digital routes, Norfolk County Council believe that it is important to try and support people access the internet for a variety of reasons. Most recently a new pilot has been launched in the west of the county named “Tech Skills for Life West Norfolk”, which has been set up to support residents to get online. Their Community Tech Coaches give residents the skills and confidence required and can provide smartphones, laptops or tablets along with free data or help getting affordable broadband. The authority hope this will be expanded across the county in the future.
Contact: James Richardson, Business Support & Processing Manager, Customer Service Centre, Norfolk County Council. Email: [email protected]