Adaptations to Council housing for disabled people

1. Statement of intent

1.1 The Council wants to ensure that tenants, and their immediate family, can continue to live independently in the community by carrying out adaptations that are both "necessary and appropriate" and "reasonable and practical".

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2. Detail

2.1 All requests from tenants for adaptations are coordinated by the Tenant and Leaseholder Services section.

2.2 Any requests from private residents are dealt with by the Independent Living Services under the statutory Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) procedure which has a mandatory maximum grant level set by Government.

2.3 In the interests of efficiency, tenants are not required to make formal application for a DFG. Following an occupational therapy (OT) assessment and recommendation that adaptation is required, a contractor will be appointed. There will be no means test applied to tenants.

2.4 Additional works will be considered to complement the adaptation if this would be to the Council's advantage. The Housing Manager has discretion to commission works in excess of the mandatory grant limit in exceptional circumstances. The additional cost is met from the Housing Investment Programme.

2.5 There is no statutory duty to grant DFG's for communal areas. Any request by an individual to have adaptations made to housing communal areas will be considered and would be accommodated where possible without prejudicing the safety of other tenants or the public. The work must again be both "necessary and appropriate" and "reasonable and practical".

2.6 Requests for electric buggy stores will be considered where it is "reasonable and practical" and if funds permit. The weekly charge to rent the buggy store will be equivalent to half the current garage rental charge. Where the tenant pays for their own electricity to charge the buggy, the rental charge will be reduced by £1.00 per week.

2.7 If a tenant does not agree with the proposed adaptation or the scope of works to their property, they have a right of appeal to the Director for a review of the proposed work.

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3. Key targets / standards

3.1 Ensure that all requests for minor adaptations not requiring OT assessment are completed within 25 days and any major adaptation to be completed within 70 days.

3.2 Ensure that adaptations are cost effective and are an appropriate alternative to offering other accommodation.

Date Approved: 18 September 1995
                               23 March 2005

Date Amended: 13 November 2002
                              04 March 2003 for approval Jan 2004
                              08 February 2004
                              14 March 2005
                                   February 2008