Provision of toilet facilities at jobcentre

Toilethumour

Can anyone please help with my query?

I have recently had to apply for JSA and as part of my entitlement have to attend a Skills Course, at the end of which I will be awarded a certificate:j

The hours of attendance are 9am to 4.30 pm Thursdays and Fridays run over four consecutive weeks. No problem in itself, but I was a little surprised upon arrival to learn that no toilet facilities are provided on site, the course itself being held at our local JC.

We were told that we have go out to use the public lavatories in Town.

If the JC is doubling up as a place of training, surely it has a duty to provide toilet facilities?

Anyone know? Many thanks in advance.

mynameistallulah

No JCPs that I am aware of have public toilets - they used to, but they were used by druggies et al, so became a security risk.

westv

I assume the staff have toilets to use though.

mynameistallulah

westv wrote: »

I assume the staff have toilets to use though.

They do, yes, but they are not for the use of the public. I imagine if you had a medical need that would require urgent toilet use they would make an exception.

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

I can't believe the JCP doesn't have Loos for their 'customers' to use. What with the preponderance of disabilities they have to deal with you would think this would be good 'customer' 'service'.
I can't believe that they would require you to patronise a public toilet.
Scandalous.

MissSarah1972

Toilethumour wrote: »

Can anyone please help with my query?

I have recently had to apply for JSA and have as part of my entitlement have to attend a Skills Course, at the end of which I will be awarded a certificate:j

The hours of attendance are 9am to 4.30 pm Thursdays and Fridays run over four consecutive weeks. No problem in itself, but I was a little surprised upon arrival to learn that no toilet facilities are provided on site, the course itself being held at our local JC.

We were told that we have go out to use the public lavatories in Town.

If the JC is doubling up as a place of training, surely it has a duty to provide toilet facilities?

Anyone know? Many thanks in advance.

I'd then out my hand up every 90 mins and ask to go to the loo!

MissSarah1972

mynameistallulah wrote: »

They do, yes, but they are not for the use of the public. I imagine if you had a medical need that would require urgent toilet use they would make an exception.

they do in mine but you have to ask security to use them and they are in the middle of the office.

DCFC79

Yep I also tried to use the loo in a job centre once and was told there none so i had to just wait, luckily i wasn't that desperate but luckily on the way back id come across one.

Makes sense why some JC may well not have toilets or only for staff use.

mynameistallulah

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

they do in mine but you have to ask security to use them and they are in the middle of the office.

That's a good way to do it - people are less likely to cause trouble when the entrance is viewable by many. Unfortunately to install toilets in that position in all JCPs would be very costly, it's not just the installation but redesigning the layout of the building as a whole.

SailorSam

If i had to be there all day and they told me there was no loo, i'd think they were taking the P.
Oh no they couldn't be could they, there's no loo.

Toilethumour

Thanks for the responses to date. I fully understand why the JC staff would not wish to share their toilet facilities with their 'customers', but if they are using the building as a place of training, then I would have thought they would had to provide facilities under Health and Safety requirements?

Totally unrelated point, but I was also surprised that the Tutor from our local College had been assigned her own JC security guard who sat a few feet away to protect her from our small group of rather harmless looking individuals. Can't wait to get a job and get out of there!