Aids and adaptations

If you would like to request a home assessment by an occupational therapist, please telephone social services at 0300 123 6720. They will take all the necessary details from you and prioritise your assessment depending on your circumstances.

Once the occupational therapist has made their recommendation, we will assess whether we can undertake the recommended adaptations at your property. If we can carry out the adaptations, we will forward your occupational therapist’s report to the appropriate local council. Local councils vary significantly in dealing with such applications and how much funding they are prepared to award.

Timescales for adaptations do depend on the nature of the appropriate local council’s Disabled Facilities Grant waiting lists. All adaptations, whether minor or major, are recorded in date order.

You might decide to organise and pay for your own adaptations. You must ask us for permission and wait until you have written approval before making any adaptations or improvements to your home.

Minor aids and adaptations are relatively small items such as:

• Grab rails
• Bannisters
• Lever taps
• Raised sockets
• Intercoms.

We will fund minor aids and adaptations with an estimated cost of less than £1,000, subject to budget availability.

Major aids and adaptations

Major adaptations include:

• Level access showers
• Stairlifts
• Wheelchair ramps.

These usually cost over £1,000 and often require alterations to the property's structure. An occupational therapist will need to undertake a home assessment to determine whether or not a major adaptation is required.

You or someone on your behalf can request an aid or adaptation by contacting us. If your request is successful, we will keep you informed of timescales for the completion of the works.

If your property is unsuitable for an adaptation, then we will discuss with you what alternatives are available.