Paddington Development Trust (PDT) aims to ensure that Grand Junction at St Mary Magdalene’s, as a public building with wide-ranging activity, arts, heritage, and music programmes, is a safe, inclusive, and welcoming for everyone. This policy explains when and how dogs may be present in our spaces, including assistance dogs, emotional support dogs, and pet dogs.

It outlines our legal duties to assistance dog owners under the Equality Act 2010, as well as PDT’s policy towards emotional support dogs and other visiting dogs within the building.

1. Assistance Dogs

PDT is committed to meeting our obligations under the Equality Act 2010. We welcome accredited guide dogs and assistance dogs at Grand Junction. Assistance dogs and their owners receive specialist training, and the dog’s behaviour is an important part of this. Assistance dogs are trained to lie quietly and should not cause disruption.

The assistance dog is the owner’s responsibility. In the rare event that an assistance dog misbehaves, staff will speak with the owner to support them in managing their dog.

If the assistance dog owner plans to be a regular user of the building, the premises may be included in their training programme so they become familiar with the surroundings.

The owner of the assistance dog must ensure that

• the dog is kept on a lead at all times when walking around the premises
• the dog has its feeding and toileting requirements met
• the dog behaves in an appropriate manner at all times and does not disrupt others
• in the unlikely event that the dog does foul inside the church building, the owner must report this to an appropriate member of staff to make arrangements with the Facilities Team to clean the area.
• While not a legal requirement, we strongly recommend that guide dogs and assistance dogs wear a harness or jacket that identify them as an assistance dog.

2. Emotional Support Dogs

Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are not recognised under the Equality Act 2010. However, we will always consider reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities, and in some cases this may include allowing an emotional support dog.

If you are attending an activity, class, or event (rather than visiting the café or foyer), PDT staff will work with users to understand their needs and the barriers facing them attending without their dog. Where a dog will be attending, staff will conduct a risk assessment with the owner prior to their first visit.

Any dog attending an organised class or event, will be required to be highly trained and display the same standards of behaviour as an assistance dog, including:

• Able to sit or lie quietly on the floor next to their owner
• Be kept on a lead at all times.
• Have had its feeding and toileting requirements met and be unlikely to foul within the building.

We also strongly recommend that emotional support dogs wear a harness or jacket that identifies them as such.

3. Visiting the Grand Junction Café, reception, and foyer spaces

Visitors may bring dogs into the café, foyer, and reception areas under the following conditions:

• Dogs are only allowed into the café, foyer, and reception areas indicated by reception staff and are not permitted to enter other parts of the building without prior permission.
• Dogs must remain with the owner and be on a lead at all times.
• If a dog is disruptive or misbehaves, the owner will be asked to remove the dog from the building and must respond to this instruction.
• A dog who is required to leave on more than 2 occasions will not be allowed in the building in future.

We always comply with food hygiene regulations, which means dogs cannot enter food preparation areas, though they may be permitted in areas where food is served.

Please contact us at info@grandjunction.org.uk if you would like to discuss our dog policy and your visit further.