Broadly speaking, the assessment of existing spaces and places tends to progress through the following steps:

1. Initial contact with client, who outlines what has prompted them to look into their access provision.

2. Preparation of brief by meeting with briefing team, which might include the building staff, current building users, architect, access consultant, access group, funders, planners, and so on. The team will discuss which areas need to be examined, mentioning any issues of particular concern. This is an opportunity for knowledge exchange between all of the key players before any of the assessment work begins.

3. Carry out access audit of premises to assess the existing environment and highlight any physical barriers that compromise access to services.

4. Draw up access audit report, comparing existing provision against Approved Document M and best practice guidance, and discuss any details with the client where necessary.

5. Draw up access strategy, which sets out a programme of works that can be integrated into the mainstream development plan.

6. Regular assessment of the effectiveness of the access strategy by monitoring feedback from clients, tenants, customers and employees. Further enhancements should take place over time if need be.

The next few sections explain each of these steps in more detail.