The document discusses the establishment of Blue Badge Centres of Excellence, including Coventry City Council's centre. It outlines the aims to improve management of the Blue Badge scheme and share best practices. It also describes Coventry's processes for assessing applications, including standardized assessment tools, consultation, and a multi-step application and review process.

1. Independent Mobility Assessments
Sharing the experience and preparing for
change
Coventry City Council Enablement and Therapy Services
Blue Badge Centre of Excellence
Frances Kendall – Team lead

2. Blue Badge Centre of
Excellence
 Blue Badge Comprehensive Reform Strategy
Published in October 2008 by Dept for Transport
 Centres of excellence were established after
submission of detailed action plans
 In total 8 LA were awarded the Centres of
Excellence status
 Coventry was awarded the status jointly with
Birmingham after a successful bid

3. Centres of Excellence
Developed to:
•Improve the management of the current scheme
•Share good practice
Coventry City Council:
•Deliver a joint approach with Birmingham
•Improve assessment process
•Establish an Enforcement Strategy

4. Assessment for Blue Badge
Aim
•Consistent approach to assessment
•Develop assessment tools within the
process
Action
•Create robust assessment
and screening tools
•Standardised clinical assessment process

5. Consultation
• Attended local Councillor ward forums
• Questionnaire to a proportion of current badge
holders
• Attended local festivals and events to distribute
awareness questionnaire and raise the Blue Badge
profile
• Attended service user groups
• Qualitative research study with service users and
Blue Badge team

6. Achievements
•Standardised the assessment process
•New improved application form introduced, based on the model
form suggested by Dept for Transport.
•Created and developed a mobility assessment tool
•Developed a desk based assessment process
•Designed a desk based assessment tool

7. Achievements continued
• Consistent process of assessment
• Reduction of badges in issue
• Designated OT mobility assessor
• Now responsible for Centro concessionary bus pass
assessments
• Raised Blue Badge profile within the city
• Formalised review process in place

8. Blue Badge Assessment Process

9. Initial Contact & Applications
• Contact centre provide advice on eligibility and issue
application forms. New helpline was introduced on 1st January
2012 to give advice and direct applicants to online application
or relevant local authority
• Application form, eligibility information and links to DfT are
available from Coventry City Council website.
• Applications are returned to Blue Badge administration team
• Applicants who are eligible “without further assessment” are
processed and badges issued accordingly
• Applicants who are “subject to further assessment” are
forwarded to The Opal for screening by an independent
mobility assessor

10. Applications subject to further assessment
• Mobility assessor carries out desk based assessment
using the screening tool. Further information may be
required during this process
• Decision is made to award, decline or invite for an
independent mobility assessment
• Appointment letter sent to applicant
• Applications are recorded in categories i.e. new,
reapplication, child under 3, upper-limb disability,
organisational, unable and virtually unable to walk

11. Independent mobility assessment
• IMA carried out at The Opal
• Approximately 15 assessments per week
• 45 minutes in length
• Decision made to award or decline at the time of
assessment, if possible and appropriate
• Figures entered on spread sheet throughout the
process
• Paperwork returned to Blue Badge administration
team for issue of badge via BBIS

12. Further Developments
• Involvement of the Blue Badge admin staff to screen
applications at desk based stage using the scoring
matrix
• New promoting independence social care
assessment form includes information on outdoor
mobility
• awareness training for all social care staff
• Development of the mobility assessor role with a
dedicated mobility assessor (physiotherapist) now in
post