Derby Homes Welfare Adaptations Policy 2021 - 2024

1. Introduction

Derby Homes Ltd demonstrates its caring and considerate approach to all its customers. If a customer needs assistance to live as independently as possible during their Derby Homes tenancy, a common-sense awareness of their needs is assessed.

2. Inclusion

Any tenant or tenant’s dependant living in a property owned by Derby City Council or Derby Homes Ltd may access the service covered by this policy. To meet the criteria applicants’ needs are assessed as Major or Minor Adaptations.

Derby Homes’ Housing Officers or the potential applicant themselves may request minor adaptation aids such as key safes, grab rails and mopstick stair handrails.

Major works require a referral from an Occupational Therapist and evidence of existing health conditions.

3. Minor Adaptations

All requests for minor adaptation work will be recorded. Provided the request is relevant and the item suitable to meet the applicants’ needs, an order will be raised and work carried out by our in-house operatives or a suitable contractor.

Whilst this item of work is considered to be needed now, not all cases will be urgent. A target to complete within 25 working days is achievable.

4. Major Adaptations

Referrals completed by an Occupational Therapist detailing the full requirements of an applicant will be recorded on Derby Homes’ IT system.

Orders will be raised once all costs have been calculated.

Where estimated costs of adaptations exceeds the City Council’s limit of £30,000 a report will be required and spend approved by the Managing Director of Derby Homes Ltd, the Director of Housing Services and the Finance Director & Company Secretary. Funding for the works would be through the Council’s HRA Capital Programme (the One-Off Modernisation budget).

The complexity of major adaptation works to meet the needs of one individual may result in a project containing separate parts carried out by different contractors.

The delivery and co-ordination of these separate parts must also take into account the severity of the applicants’ health conditions and their ability to cope with the extent of the total works.

Therefore, a realistic timeframe may exceed the current performance indicator of 80 working days (16 weeks).

In addition, early consideration of further adaptation works being required by an applicant may best be resolved by extending the property. This decision will be made by the Director of Property.

Where the applicant’s home lends itself to a potential property extension, this timeframe, including drawings, planning and building works may take 182 days (6 months)

5. Re-Housing

Where it is clear from the start that major works will be necessary re-housing can be considered. However, the availability of a suitable property requiring less works is unlikely given the limited properties becoming vacant.

The applicant may initially resist any thought of a move, but this should remain on the agenda until major works begin. Considering re-housing for any other reason than under occupying is going to cause delays in meeting the customer’s needs.

The Allocations Team may consider appropriate vacant properties that may be more suitable for each applicant.

The use of compensation should only be considered to offset any costs incurred by the applicant. It should not be used as a governing tool to release a property when the new property does not meet the needs of the applicant.

The needs of the applicant must be paramount in all areas of this policy. The aim is to provide a sustainable long-term home for Derby Homes’ tenants whose health conditions mean they require additional assistance to live independent lives.

6. Responsibilities

Within this policy responsibility for the delivery of the service lies with the following teams:

• Derby Homes’ Planned Maintenance Team
• Derby Homes Allocations Team
• Derby City Council’s Adult and Children Services Department

7. Objectives

The objectives of this policy is to ensure that all tenants being referred for adaptations have their needs met in the most economical way and as soon as possible, by:

• Complying with the Equalities Act 2010
• Offering and encourage re-housing to a more suitably adapted property
• Processing Welfare Adaptation Referrals within priority:
  • Minor Adaptation Referral = 25 days
  • Major Adaptation Referrals = 182 days (based on maximum works).
• Keeping the tenant informed by either personal visit or letter as the application progresses
• Ensuring the work meets the required standards