This statement applies to content published on the thurrock.gov.uk domain.
Using this website
This website is run by Thurrock Council. We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:
- change colours, contrast levels and fonts
- zoom-in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
- navigate most of the website using speech recognition software
- listen to most of the website using a screen reader
We've also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability, including guidance on how to:
- make your mouse easier to use
- use your keyboard instead of a mouse
- talk to your device
- make your device talk to you
- make text larger
- change your colours
- magnify the screen
How accessible this website is
We know some parts of this website aren't fully accessible:
- most older PDF documents aren't fully accessible to screen reader software
- some of our online forms may be difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
- digital maps within web pages may be difficult to navigate using just a keyboard
- our sound recordings of committee meetings do not have full text transcript
What to do if you can't access parts of this website
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, contact our Information Management team.
We'll consider your request and get back to you within 20 working days. Our working days are Monday to Friday excluding public holidays, starting from the first full working day after we receive your request.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We're always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we're not meeting accessibility requirements, contact our Web Team.
thurrock.gov.uk accessibility feedback
Enforcement procedure
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you're not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person
We provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.
We have hearing loops – also known as audio induction loops – on each desk in our Customer Service area, and in the office for private meetings behind our main reception desk.
You can contact us using British Sign Language (BSL) via the SignVideo service, either online, by smartphone app, or face-to-face in our Civic Offices.
For our opening hours and directions to our offices, go to contact us.
Technical information about this website's accessibility
Thurrock Council is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
Some of our published PDF files and Word documents are essential to providing our services – for example, as application forms. Forms that remain as PDF files have been saved in the PDF/A archiving format. Any Word document forms are accompanied by equivalent PDF/A files.
We implemented a new system for creating online forms in January 2021 and are now working to convert remaining PDF and Word form files to webforms.
Interim injunction QB-2019-002738, concerning persons forming unauthorised encampments, is a PDF file of a scanned High Court order. If your disability or impairment prevents you accessing this document, please contact us using the accessibility feedback form above.
Protest injunction QB-2022-001317, concerning persons protesting in Thurrock and Essex, is a PDF file of a scanned High Court order. If your disability or impairment prevents you accessing this document, please contact us using the accessibility feedback form above.
The 'Brighter Futures Children's Partnership Strategy 2021-26' is a PDF file that may not be accessible to assistive technologies. If your disability or impairment prevents you accessing this document, please contact us using the accessibility feedback form above.
Two Better Care Together Thurrock documents, 'Case for Further Change, 2022-2026 – full' and 'Case for Further Change, 2022-2026', are PDF files that may not be accessible to assistive technologies. If your disability or impairment prevents you accessing this document, please contact us using the accessibility feedback form above.
We are currently working to fix the following problems:
- pause and skip buttons for moving images on our home page cannot be accessed using the keyboard
- some forms and tables don't reflow properly when zoomed-in up to 400%, meaning the page has to be scrolled side-to-side
- some drop-down menu options don't show visibly when they have the 'focus' for keyboard controls
Please use the accessibility feedback form above to let us know if any of these problems prevent you accessing information or services while we're working to fix them.
Some of our online transactional services – for example, making an application, paying for a service, making a booking or reporting a problem – are built and hosted through third-party software that has been 'skinned' to look like our website. We are working with the companies that supply these services to fix any accessibility issues, or to provide accessible alternatives.
If your disability or impairment prevents you making an application using any of the following online services, please email us for support:
- managing your council housing rent – email rents@thurrock.gov.uk
- apply for council housing – email housingoptions@thurrock.gov.uk
- apply for a council job – email recruitment@thurrock.gov.uk
- apply for a school place – email school.admissions@thurrock.gov.uk
- apply for free school meals – email awards@thurrock.gov.uk
- apply for free 2 year-old childcare – email fis@thurrock.gov.uk
- apply as an organisation to trade with us – email i-supplier@thurrock.gov.uk
- apply as a school to buy services from us – email servicestoschools@thurrock.gov.uk
If your disability or impairment prevents you using any of the following online services, please phone us using the numbers given below.
- make a payment – phone 01375 652 127
- buy tickets for an event at Thameside Theatre – phone 0345 300 5264
- book a Thurrock Adult Community College course – phone 0800 783 7733 or 01375 372 476
- report a highways problem – phone 01375 366 100
- find organisations that provide services for children, young people and families, including services for special educational needs and disabilities – phone 01375 652 801 or email fis@thurrock.gov.uk
Our advice on what to do if you can't access parts of this website – given above – includes how to ask for accessible alternatives, if needed while this work is in progress.
We don't provide a full text transcript of sound and video recordings of committee meetings. The agenda and minutes of these meetings are published in HTML format.
Content that's not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
The content below is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations, The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018: Regulation 4.
The Twitter feed on our home page is provided by a third-party social media company, and may not be fully accessible using screen reader software or by keyboard navigation. We don't plan to fix this because third-party content that is neither funded nor developed by, nor under the control of, the public sector body, is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.
Interactive maps within this website may not work with screen reader software or be navigable using a keyboard. We don't plan to fix these because online maps and mapping services are exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.
Some live video streams of committee meetings don't have captions. We don't plan to add captions to all live video streams because live video is exempt from meeting the accessibility regulations.
Several old PDF files and Word documents don't meet accessibility standards – for example, they may not be marked-up so they're accessible to a screen reader. The accessibility regulations don't require us to fix documents published before 23 September 2018 if they're not essential to providing our services. For example, we don't plan to fix very large technical studies that support our Core Strategy Local Plan adopted in 2015.
How we tested this website
This website is tested automatically every 5 or 6 days. The tests are carried out by SiteImprove and supported by on-going in-house manual checking.
We use this approach to test between 5,000 and 6,000 pages automatically. This covers the full content of our main website, thurrock.gov.uk, excluding:
- pages that list the same content as other pages but displayed in a different order
- simple standard forms for feedback, comments, questions and service requests, that use a template identical to other forms tested
You can download an example full accessibility test report below.
We are working with suppliers of services based on a different technical platform but 'skinned' to look like our website.
About this web accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 16 March 2020. It was last reviewed on 22 October 2021.