What to do next?

Reflecting on the completed audit

Having completed an audit of your setting, or part of your setting, you may now have a better understanding of how the setting meets Universal Design principles. The process should also have helped you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the built environment. Your reflections after each sub-section and any notes you have made regarding your ideas and plans for short or long term improvements will guide you in making any decisions about adding/ adapting features in an existing setting (retro-fitting), or design ideas if you are planning an extension or a new build.

Level of work or scale of project

When considering what aspects of the setting to improve or the design features to focus on, consider the Levels of Design described in the UD Guidelines for ELC settings. These levels of design include 5 levels of intervention, adaptation or design, ranging from minor low cost issues (Level 01) up to larger more costly retrofit or new-build projects (Level 05). Considering these five levels may help you to prioritise, plan and manage any proposed improvement works. 

For more information about the Levels of Design see page 33 of the Universal Design Guidelines forEarly Learning and CareSettings.

Next steps

Depending on the level of work involved in making the changes you have identified, or the scale of the project you are planning, you may need to adopt different approaches to completing the work. It may be possible to carry out minor works without involving others, while some smaller projects may require a tradesperson that you organise yourself. Bigger projects will probably need a more extensive Design Team and require onsite construction coordination. For these projects you might need an architect or similar design professional to ensure all planning, building, and health and safety regulations are complied with.

Many projects will require a Design Brief that sets out your needs and informs the design team about the requirements for the project.

For more information about Design Teams and Design Briefs see page 29-30 of the Universal Design Guidelines for Early Learning and Care Settings.

Refer also to Appendix 7 of these guidelines for more detailed advice on setting out a Design Brief.