Aids and Adaptations

We are committed to making life easier for our customers. We recognise the importance of maximising your independence and improving your quality of life, enabling you to live independently in your own home for as long as possible.

We provide funding for disabled adaptations by working in partnership with your local council and local authority. Where additional funding is required for major and complex adaptations, a recommendation may be made to your local Council for a Disabled Facility Grant (DFG) in line with our current service level agreements

A DFG from your Council is available to all our customers where a need has been identified by an occupational therapist, and will be subject to means testing by the local Council. All starter tenants will be expected to apply for a DFG during their starter tenancy period.

The Accessibility Team can assist any of our customers who is having difficulty with everyday activities in their home, regardless of age.

The same assistance is also available to anyone who permanently resides in one of our properties but is not necessarily a tenant.

You can contact us by:

• speaking to your Life24 Advisor
• calling us on 0300 123 5544 and ask to speak to the Accessibility team.

For Northamptonshire customers -

Grand Union Occupational Therapist:

Simple adaptations can be organised without a visit from the Accessibility Team. However, where a visit is required to assess your needs, we will contact you to arrange an appointment for our occupational therapist or trusted assessor to visit.

Our service standard is:

• to contact you within five working days of receiving a referral to offer you an appointment
• to book an appointment with the occupational therapist to visit you at your home at a mutually convenient time within four weeks of receiving the referral.

 For all other customers - 

 You can contact your local Occupational Therapy Team:

• Bedfordshire on 0300 300 8050
• Milton Keynes on 01908 253772

They will advise you of their Service Standards and Process.

The Occupational Therapist or trusted assessor will visit you to assess your needs and discuss possible options to meet your needs.

This may be by recommending equipment, minor adaptations, major adaptations or a combination of these, as appropriate.

Sometimes, an alternative option may be for you to consider re-housing, which would provide you with more suitable accommodation to meet your current needs, or provide a longer term solution. With your agreement, a request would be submitted to the local Housing Teams for further consideration.

Additionally, you may be referred to partner agencies to meet your needs. These might include Social Services, health teams, local authorities and charities.

Sometimes the Occupational Therapist may wish to obtain further information from your GP or Housing Officer to assist with making a recommendation to meet your needs. This information will only be sought with your prior permission.

Disabled adaptations

Adaptations are classified as either minor or major, depending on the nature or extent of the work required to undertake the adaptation in your home.

Equipment

All equipment is obtained from the joint Health and Social Care Community Store following an assessment from your Occupational Therapist.

Provision is subject to meeting Health and Social Services eligibility criteria. Equipment is provided and installed free of charge.

Equipment includes:

Raised toilet seats, chair raisers, kitchen trolleys and walking aids.

Minor adaptations include:

Grab rails, key safes, stair rails and galvanised handrails or half-steps.

Major adaptations include:

Level access showers, over bath showers, stair lifts and access alterations including ramps.

Large and complex adaptations include:

Extensions, parking schemes and adaptations that require planning permission, licensing from other agencies and land acquisition.

These will often require additional discussions regarding funding and alternative options such as moving.

Following your visit from the Occupational Therapist, referrals will be sent to any partner agencies to request assistance where this cannot be provided by us directly.

Your permission to share information with these agencies will be discussed during the assessment and we cannot be responsible for the timing or outcome of these agencies’ involvement.

Recommendation for adaptations, both minor and major, will be prepared by the Occupational Therapist detailing the adaptations you require. They will be submitted to our Accessibility Team project surveyors for technical feasibility and for landlord permission.

Some adaptations, such as stair lifts, will require technical surveys by approved external company representatives. These appointments will be organised by the Accessibility Team or your Occupational Therapist.

Service standard - 

Recommendations and referrals will be submitted by the Occupational Therapist after visiting you.

Requests for minor adaptations are received from Independent Living Advisors, hospital Occupational Therapists, Community Occupational Therapists and our Occupational Therapist.

These will be processed in date order, unless they are required for hospital discharge or to reduce a high risk need.

Service standard - 

Urgent:

To facilitate hospital discharge or carer access.

Works completed within five working days from receipt of order.

Standard:

Provision of grab rails, stair rails, etc.

Works completed within 15 working days from receipt of order.

Planned:

Work or specialist items that need to be ordered from contractors prior to fitting.

Works completed within 60 working days from receipt of order.

Dependent on your local authority Major Adaptations will be managed by our Accessibility Team or by the Disabled Grant team at your local council. Following your visit from the occupational therapist, referrals will be sent to the appropriate team.

For Northamptonshire customers:
Our Project Surveyors will visit you to survey the technical feasibility of the adaptation requested. Drawings will be prepared and checked by the Occupational Therapist to ensure the design meets your needs.

Agreement from the Housing Services Manager will be sought where adaptations are requested in houses. This is not normally required for adaptations in bungalows or ground floor flats.

The adaptation work will be specified and tendered to approved contractors.

The Accessibility Team Project Surveyor will liaise between you and the contractor during the works and visit as required and they will visit to inspect the finished work.

Stair lifts, ceiling track hoists and through floor lifts are currently maintained by the Accessibility Team.

The Project Surveyors will complete the work according to priority, which will have been identified during the Occupational Therapist’s assessment. Once necessary permissions from statutory agencies have been obtained, the work will be completed within the following timescales.

Service standard - 

High priority:
Survey completed within 10 working days.
Works completed within three to nine months from receipt of order.

Medium priority:
Survey completed within four months.
Works completed within 10 to 12 months from receipt of order.

Low priority:
Survey completed within six months.
Works completed within 12 to 14 months from receipt of order.

For All Other Tenants: 

Our Project Surveyors will evaluate the technical feasibility of the adaptation requested and may need to visit you.

Agreement from the Housing Services Manager will be sought where adaptations are requested in houses. This is not normally required for adaptations in bungalows or ground floor flats. The Accessibility Team Project Surveyor will then confirm Landlord’s Permission to the Grants Team at your local council. They will advise you of their Service Standards and Process.

Large and complex adaptations:

These include extensions, parking schemes and adaptations that require planning permission, licensing from other agencies and land acquisition.

These will often require substantial funding. Your Occupational Therapist will discuss these recommendations with the Housing Management Team.

Disabled Facilities Grants are means tested and we cannot assist with the means tested portion of funding.

The Accessibility Team Project Surveyors and grants team will apply for relevant permissions from other agencies. Works will proceed if the relevant permissions are obtained. Alternatives will be explored by the Surveyors and Occupational Therapist where permissions are refused.

Timescales for this type of adaptation will vary.

Where adaptations are not feasible, or where you would like to move to an alternative property better suited to your needs, the Occupational Therapist will liaise with your local Housing Team, providing them with information about your housing requirements.

Application forms should be completed for your relevant housing register(s). Where there are specific requirements, the GUHG Occupational Therapist will visit new properties to ensure they can be adapted to meet your needs.