Funded by the ScreenSkills Film Skills Fund, — together with delivery partners DDPTV, Brazen Productions and Access All Areas — TripleC has delivered an access coordinator training programme designed to equip successful candidates with the skills and knowledge needed to take up roles on film productions.
The programme was created in direct response to a call from disabled-led organisations to provide the change needed and ensure that everyone’s access requirements are facilitated and placed at the centre of production spaces. As the screen industries employ more deaf, disabled, autistic and neurodivergent creatives both on and off screen, and are focusing on better work/life balance and wellbeing, the role of access coordinator is becoming essential.
The 11 programme participants have taken part in bespoke training led by industry professionals TripleC. Over the course of 12 weeks, participants have received extensive training on how to provide support for different access requirements and develop the skills to facilitate these requirements on a working production.
Productions contributing to the Film Skills Fund are eligible for funding to support an access coordinator placement. Productions can apply for a salary contribution of up to £1,000 per 5-day week, or £200 per day, for up to 11 weeks per participant.
For more information, please contact Celia Small – celia.small@screenskills.com.
Q: What is the Film Access Coordinators Programme?
The programme was created in direct response to a call from disabled-led organisations to provide the change needed and to ensure that everyone’s access requirements are facilitated and placed at the centre of production spaces. As the TV and film industries employ more deaf, disabled, autistic and neurodivergent creatives both on and off screen, and are focusing on better work/life balance and wellbeing, the role of access coordinator is becoming essential.
The access coordinator role is a new but vital one within the industry. An access coordinator can work with your production to identify and remove barriers to access for all staff, cast, crew and contributors, promoting a more diverse and inclusive workforce. They can advise on all aspects of on-set and off-set requirements to help productions be more accessible.
ScreenSkills will fund a placement for access coordinators, designed to support successful candidates to take up roles on film productions. The access coordinators on this programme have had specific training with TripleC, together with delivery partners DDPTV, Brazen Productions and Access All Areas.
Q: How does a film production access an access coordinator placement?
Productions contributing to the Film Skills Fund are eligible for funding to support an access coordinator placement. The amount of funds that a production can access is allocated from its Film Skills Fund contribution.
Q: How much can a production access for a placement?
Productions can apply for a salary contribution of up to £1,000 per 5-day week, or £200 per day, for up to 11 weeks per participant. Each participant has an allocated 55 days to use across the programme on different placement opportunities. Access coordinators can be a part-time role, so productions are able to hire them on a daily rate.
Q: Is there a limit to the financial contribution ScreenSkills can make?
Yes, this will depend on several factors, including the budget of the production and its contribution to the Film Skills Fund.
Q: Who are the access coordinators on the current programme?
The 11 programme participants have taken part in bespoke training led by industry professionals TripleC. Over the course of 12 weeks, candidates have received extensive training on how to provide support for different access requirements and develop the skills to facilitate these requirements on a working production.
Whilst all of the ScreenSkills access coordinators have strong access experience in other fields, for some, this will be the first time they will undertake this role on production.
Once a production’s Film Skills Fund contribution invoice has been issued, ScreenSkills can share the access coordinators participants booklet. Through this, the production can view their location, CV and availability. We would encourage the production to contact the participants directly to arrange interviews, etc.
Q: What is the process for confirming an access coordinator placement?
- Production contributes to the Film Skills Fund.
- Production identifies the need for an access coordinator.
- ScreenSkills shares the access coordinator participant booklet.
- Production contacts and interviews candidates.
- Production confirms onboarding of an access coordinator.
- Production completes the access coordinator proposal form.
- ScreenSkills approves the placement.
- Production submits a grant request.
- ScreenSkills issues an offer letter for the production to sign.
- Supervisor and participant complete the progression plan during the placement.
Q: What does the production need to do in relation to the placement?
The production allocates a named supervisor to support the participant and provides the contact details of the supervisor to ScreenSkills. The supervisor’s role is to be the main point of contact and guidance for the participant and support their production needs.
Q: Who employs and pays the access coordinators candidates?
The production employs the participant on a fixed-term contract, and they are paid through the production payroll.
Q: What paperwork does ScreenSkills issue?
An offer letter is issued between ScreenSkills and the production. The production will issue the access coordinator with their own fixed-term crew contract that covers their terms and conditions, dates, location, expenses allowance, overtime rate (if applicable), and the allocated supervisor’s contact details. The supervisor and access coordinator must also complete a ScreenSkills progression plan, tracking development over the course of their placement.
Q: How does the production claim the funding?
At the end of the placement, the production invoices ScreenSkills. Funding can only be released once all required paperwork has been submitted, signed and returned: the offer letter, the completed progression plan and proof of the agreed funding activity with the participant.
For more information, please contact Celia Small – celia.small@screenskills.com.