Facilities
Accessible and inclusive facilities meet employees’ essential needs in a dignified way. They help uphold the right to equal opportunity. These facilities can include accessible bathrooms, carers’ rooms, quiet sensory spaces, all gender toilet facilities and multi-faith rooms (noting the requirements of the Special Religious Instruction policy).
Some schools may face limitations to facilities they can offer, including:
- smaller schools
- schools with heritage buildings
- schools with limited accommodation.
Schools in this position are encouraged to negotiate with employees on a case-by-case basis, prioritising access to dignified facilities to meet their needs.
Schools are recommended to have separate inclusive facilities for staff and students, where possible.
Accessible toilets
The Building Quality Standards Handbook – School Construction and Design Standards sets minimum criteria for accessible toilets.
The Australian Disability Network also provides advice about the design of accessible toilets(opens in a new window).
Carer rooms
Carer rooms provide a clean, private space to express milk, breastfeed or bottle feed. They may also be called lactation rooms, nursing rooms, expressing rooms or wellbeing rooms.
The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding babies and children to 2 years and beyond(opens in a new window). Employees often return from parental leave while continuing to breastfeed. A breastfeeding-friendly workplace helps to support a parent’s breastfeeding goals.
The Australian Breastfeeding Association provides advice about being a breastfeeding-friendly workplace(opens in a new window).
The department’s Parental Absence – Teaching Service: Policy and Guidelines has information about lactation breaks and facilities. Lactation breaks and facilities must be provided under the Victorian Government Schools Agreement.
Quiet space
Schools can consider having a dedicated quiet space for staff to manage the over-stimulation that can be experienced in the workplace. These rooms can also be used for quiet contemplation or meditation.
Suggested inclusions in a sensory room include:
- offering adjustable lighting or light-covers
- minimising strong smells
- noise should be kept to a minimum in and around the room.
All gender toilets
An all gender toilet does not have gendered signage and can be used by a person of any gender.
The Building Quality Standards Handbook – School Construction and Design Standards sets requirements for all gender toilets.
To learn more about all gender toilets and when they should be provided in the workplace, read WorkSafe Victoria’s guide to All gender toilet facilities in the workplace.
Multifaith facilities
Dedicated multifaith rooms provide space for people of all religious beliefs to spend time in reflection, prayer and meditation. These rooms assist staff to meet their religious duties with minimal disruption to work commitments.
To learn more about multifaith rooms read Multifaith guidelines – Diversity Council of Australia(opens in a new window) (staff can create a free DCA account with a department email address).
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