CELG(4) HA 30

Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee

Inquiry into Home Adaptations

Response from : Older People’s Commissioner for Wales: additional written evidence 1

Aids and Adaptations

List of good practice provided by Welsh local authorities – December 2012

Joint Working

· Co-location of OTs with grant officers has  reduced waiting list from two years in 2010  to two months

· Council has employed on a trial basis an adaptations coordinator to bridge OT and adaptations teams. 

· Invested in additional OT support to speed up the assessment process

· Managed by an integrated disabled person’s service including surveyors, OTs. 

· Close links with RSLs who delivery PAGs

· Workshop bringing together officers from social services and housing

· Monthly meetings between Housing and OT

· Joint working between housing and OTs (colocation)

· Reorganisation of OT into a single service team

· Officer seconded to Housing Renewal Team

· Good joint working with OTs

· Close partnership with C&R (co-located with the council).

Use of resources

· Acknowledged timescales need to be reduced and have invested officer time and financial resources. This has reduced delivery time from 809 to 399 over three years.

· Cabinet considering proposals for additional resources

· Funding to Care and Repair

· Provision of sufficient capital to adaptations even in financially challenging times – no applicant has to wait for grant assistance as a result of lack of funds

· Recycling of equipment

· Living Independently Home Repair Grant tackles other works of repair e.g. roofs or electrics at same time as DFG.

· Strong financial support, consistent capital allocation

Customer experience

· Recently started monitoring feedback from clients, for example 82% of people who received a DFG felt it helped them stay independent.

· Telephone based enquiry service and home visit options for applicants

· In house agency service to hand hold applicants through the process.

· Early draft means test to give potential applicants a very early indication of any financial contribution

· Root and Branch review in 2007 to identify process efficiencies, streamline customer journey.  Reduced from 500+ days to 175 days

· Customer satisfaction levels high (95%)

· Home visits

‘Process’ issues

· Changes to Housing Renewal Policy specifically aimed at reducing delivery times over the next 12 months.

· Partnership with LSVT  with a panel to consider applications for adaptations, including moving to a new property.

· Tighten up on targets for each step of DFG process

· Joint pre-referral visit by housing surveyor and OT to ensure any recommendations are reasonable and practical

· Fast track procedure for urgent cases

· Prioritisation system to deal with most urgent cases first

· Using surveyors as assessors to reduce OT waiting times

· More accurate recording

· Fast track stair like service for palliative care

· Refining application process

· E-referal process from OT to grants team

· Dedicated team with specialist OTs

· Fast track for priority cases

Alternatives to DFG

· Minor works commissioned separately

· Prioritising hospital discharge for minor adaptations

· Partnership with Care and Repair to deliver minor adaptations and the RRAP programme (average time 4 days)

· Safety at Home Scheme: partnership between OT and C&R (delivered 454 minor adaptations last year, average time 6 days)

· Discretionary relocation grant via Pathways to Adapted Housing Register

· Minor adaptations Grant for less than £2k (average 59 days)

· Financial incentive to move

· 11 days to deliver minor adaptations

· Loans and grants for other repairs and improvements

Contractors / building work

· Recently re-tendered for building contractors

· Framework contract with local contractors – with agreed timescales and schedule of rates

· Approved contractor agreements.

· One experienced local architect

· Joint feasibility visits OT and grants

· Expert local contractors

· Schedule of rates (removed tendering)

· In house grant agency

· Registered Builders Scheme – advice on sourcing a builder