Sunnyside Guest House Accessibility Guide

SUNNYSIDE GUEST HOUSE ACCESSIBILITY GUIDE

At the Sunnyside we are committed to providing suitable access for our guests, and endeavour to accommodate a range of individual needs. We aim to accurately describe our facilities and be completely open and honest about our services, so you can book with confidence, your stay is enjoyable, you return and recommend us to your friends and family.

We believe in being completely open about where we are on our accessibility journey which is why we have endeavored to provide as much detail as possible in our accessibility guide. The last thing we want is for our guests to spend their hard-earned money on booking and traveling to stay with us only to find out our accommodation offering is not suitable for your needs. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call reception on 01704 536521.

If our facilities aren’t suitable, we are happy to point you in the direction of someone in Southport who can offer something to meet your requirements. We have a good knowledge of the towns accommodation offering as we have 15 years’ experience behind us.

PRE-ARRIVAL

Our website

We have installed accessibility tools to help navigate around the website. On the top left of the page, you will see a blue wheelchair icon. Please click on this to adjust a range of settings including text size and contrast.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or unable to communicate verbally and would like to contact us, you can do so using the Relay service or send us an e-mail. You can use Relay UK with an app or a text phone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out more on how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website: https://www.relayuk.bt.com/how-to-use-relay-uk.html

There is a booking facility on the website to check our prices and availability.

Booking accessibility equipment

The Sunnyside has some equipment that we can loan out free of charge. Please look under the customer care support section toward the bottom of the page for more information. If you would like to hire mobility scooters and wheelchairs you can do so from Able World. We suggest booking well in advance to avoid disappointment. Able World also provides a drop-off service (for a fee) so the item is waiting for you upon arrival at the Sunnyside.

If you would like to use some of our accessibility equipment, please notify us in advance so we can get it out of storage and have it set up for your arrival.

Getting to the Sunnyside

Public Transport

You can get to Sunnyside Guest House by bus and train.

The nearest bus stop is located on Lord Street, just a couple of minutes from the Sunnyside. The bus stop is 0.1 miles / 0.2 km from Sunnyside Guest House.

The nearest train station is Southport Train Station. The train station is 0.4 miles / 0.6 km from Sunnyside Guest House.
According to Google Maps, it takes 7 minutes to walk from Southport train station to the Sunnyside or there is a taxi rank outside the station. Some of the cars on the rank have wheelchair access.
If you are traveling with Merseyrail you can request passenger assist by telephoning 0800 0277 347 (Freephone) or 0151 555 1111. They then contact you directly to confirm the arrangements. At least 2 hour’s notice is required to provide this service.
Please note the number above is only available between 7 am and 7 pm Monday to Friday, if you need to book outside of these times, please call 0151 702 2704. Alternatively, you can use the Passenger Assistance app, available to download for free from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Travel by Taxi

You can get a taxi with Yellow Top Taxis by calling 01704 531000. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible-vehicle.
You can get a taxi with All White Taxis by calling 01704 537777.

Parking

We have a car park. The parking is less than 50 metres from the main entrance. Parking is free when you book direct.
The nearest drop off-point is at the front of the property. We try to be on hand to help carry luggage from the car. Please note there is no charge for car parking when you book direct with us. From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. There is a portable ramp.
The path is slightly sloped.
The route is 8000mm wide, or more.
We have a portable wheelchair ramp that can be placed a the front of the building to gain access. A staff member will be required to set this up so it is advised that you let us know in advance that you require this service. Mobility scooters that are very low to the ground may have difficulties using the ramp.
Guests are welcome to visit us prior to your stay to check out the facility’s we have on site. Please call reception on 01704 536521 and speak to Anthony if you would like to make arrangements to carry out a visit.

Special requests

If you have a special request such as a lower floor room, special dietary requirement or you would simply like to hire accessibility equipment please let us know in advance. The earlier we know about your special request, the greater the chance we can accommodate your request.

Checking In

Check-in can be done online through our booking management system. You will get an e-mail about this before you arrive if you book direct with the Sunnyside. This means you can check into your room much faster upon arrival. Alternatively, you can check in upon arrival.

Arrival

Entry into the building

There is one step into the porch at 130mm high and another step into the building from the porch that is 150mm high. The width of the front door is 820mm wide. If required, the portable ramps can be set up for access into the building by wheelchair. Scoters can also use the ramp provided they are not too low to the ground. If the scooter is low to the ground a member of staff can carry it in for you. The main door is side-hung and manual. A member of staff can wedge the door open if you are using the ramps. If you require the use of the ramps, please let us know in advance of your stay.

From the front door you have level access to the reception, dining room and we have one bedroom on the ground floor, room ten.

Reception

From the main entrance to reception, there is level access. The door to reception is 760mm wide.
In reception, there is a separate table available for wheelchair users to check-in if the desk is too high.
A portable hearing loop is available at reception for guests who have hearing difficulties.
We have the facility to fill in the registration form prior to arrival at the Sunnyside. This is only possible when booking direct with us. You can book direct by using the online booking facility at sunnysidesouthport.co.uk or by calling reception on 01704 536521.

Dining Room

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. The door to the dining room is 750mm wide.
A menu is available in large print. A member of staff can go through the menu with guests and read it out.
If you need table service, staff can help.
The route through the dining area is 800mm wide, or more.
The table and plates have high colour contrast.
We cater for sugar free (diabetic), vegetarian, gluten-free (celiacs), lactose-free (dairy-free), nut-free, low-fat, high fibre and vegan-specific diets.
We hold valid food hygiene certificates and have completed food allergy awareness training which involved; learning what food allergy and intolerance are, how to recognise the symptoms of an allergic reaction, understand what information should be on pre-packed food labels, what you need to consider to keep customers safe.

The Bedrooms Summary

Bedrooms

All bedrooms have windows.
Bedrooms have ceiling lights, bedside lamps and desk or table lamps.
Lights are LED.
TVs have subtitles.
All bedrooms are non-smoking.
We have non-allergic bedding.
All bedrooms have fitted carpets.
Some of our carpets are made with wool. Wool carpets are naturally hypoallergenic and can absorb many allergens such as dust and pollen. They act as an air filter, trapping allergens in the pile. Wool carpets also absorb other pollutants such as nitrogen.
We can move the bedroom furniture, to improve accessibility.

Room	Floor	Room Type	Bath / Shower	Aspect
One	First	Small Double	Double Shower	Rear
Two	First	King	Bath	Front
Three	First	Single – Shared Bathroom	Shared Shower Room	Front
Four	First	Triple	Bath	Front
Five	First	Twin / Double	Double Shower	Rear
Six	Second	Small Double	Double Shower	Rear
Seven	Second	Triple	Bath	Front
Eight	Second	King / Large Twin	Bath	Front
Nine	Second	Twin / Double	Double Shower	Rear
Ten	Ground	Twin / Double	Double Shower	Rear

Our rooms with baths typically look like the picture below. The height of the bath from the floor is around 550mm.

Sunnyside Bath room in the Guest House Southport

Room Ten – Ground floor bedroom

There is one bedroom with level access from the front door (room ten). To navigate into this room you have to go through two doorways from the ground floor hallway. The first doorway is 680mm then around a corner to the bedroom door which is 780mm wide

Inside the bedroom there is unobstructed floor space 1200mm by 900mm, or more.

The door to room tens bathroom is 575mm wide. The opening to enter the shower is 410mm wide and there is a step approximately 240mm high. The shower has a TMV2-certified thermostatic shower. We have a shower chair and a free-standing raised toilet seat and frame available on-site that can be loaned free of charge (please see the facilities section at the bottom of the page).

Stairs to the Bedrooms

Stairs to the first floor

There are nineteen stairs from the ground to the first-floor, thirteen to the first landing and then another six to the first-floor bedrooms. Staff are on hand to carry up bags on arrival and take them down upon departure.

Stairs to the second floor

There are seventeen stairs from the first floor to the second floor, ten to the first landing and then another seven to the second-floor bedrooms. This makes a total of thirty-six stairs from the ground floor to the second floor. Again, staff are on hand to carry up bags on arrival and take them down upon departure. Please let us know, we are happy to help.

Customer care support

Accessibility equipment

We have a portable hearing loop which is available at reception.

We can also provide a Fireco Deafgard device. Deafgard is a portable device that alerts people in an emergency. Designed for the deaf and hard of hearing, Deafgard has a vibration pad and flashing light that wakes people upon the sound of the alarm.

Easyleaver Bed Grab Rails or Bed Handles are available to help guests get out of bed. This device enables the user to pull themselves from a lying position to a seated position when in bed and provides support when standing or entering and leaving the bed. Please ask in advance if you would like us to set them up ready for your arrival.

We have a set of ramps available to help guests in wheelchairs get in and out of the building. A staff member will be required to set this up, so it is advised that you let us know in advance that you require this service. Mobility scooters that are very low to the ground may have difficulties using the ramp.

We have a shower chair available for guests to use. This shower chair is lightweight but strong with legs that can be altered to a comfortable height. The contoured seat has drainage holes to enable water to drain quickly.

Our free-standing raised toilet and frame is ideal for individuals who struggle with conventional toilets and want to increase the toilet seat height allowing users to use the toilet independently without any support. The legs can be adjusted according to the individual user’s needs.

Grab rails are not fitted in our bathrooms as standard however, we have a suction grab handle which can be fitted in some of the bathrooms please ask more about this before booking.

We have an area to charge mobility-scooters and battery powered wheelchairs. Battery-powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be brought into the reception area using or portable ramp. Please note that mobility scooters that are very close to the floor may have difficulty using the ramp however, if guests can walk into the building a member of staff can bring the scooter inside (please let us know in advance of your stay). There are plug sockets for charging in reception.

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.
The fire alarm has a vibrating pillow pad.
The fire alarm has flashing lights.
If the fire alarm is sounded staff will be on site to help evacuate the building. Staff have received fire warden training.
Deafgard is a portable device which alerts people in an emergency designed for the deaf and hard of hearing, Deafgard has a vibration pad and flashing light which wakes people upon the sound of the alarm.

Customer care support

All staff have disability awareness training.
All staff have Next Generation Text training.
We have information in large print.
A member of staff can read visitor information out to a guest.
Staff can be contacted 24 hours a day. If we are not on-site, we can be contacted by phone. Staff live on site.
We are a small guest house. The proprietors live on-site and can be contacted at nighttime in the event of an emergency.
We have taken Dementia Friend training, Tourism for all training. and food allergy awareness training.

Special Dietary requirements

We have completed food allergy awareness training which involved:

learning what food allergies and intolerance are
how to recognise the symptoms of an allergic reaction
understand what information should be on pre-packed food labels
what you need to consider to keep customers safe.

We also have completed food safety and hygiene courses and hold a 5* food hygiene rating upon an unscheduled spot check by the local authority.

Please contact us in advance of your stay if you have food allergies or intolerances.