We provide a service for older residents and people with disabilities to help with adaptations to enable independent living and improve quality of life. Private and social tenants can also benefit from the service with the co-operation of their landlords. The Care and Repair Home Improvement Agency delivers grant funded adaptation work on our behalf.
Referral and assessment
Find out what actually happens from initial contact to the work being completed and paid for:
- A referral is sent to Care and Repair from the occupational therapist who will carry out an assessment of you in your home
- An initial means test is carried out to indicate whether you are likely to be eligible for grant assistance or whether you would have to make a financial contribution towards the cost of the work
- If grant assistance is not available, you will be informed and ways forward will be discussed
- If grant assistance is available, appointments are made for a caseworker and a surveyor to visit
- The caseworker deals with the funding side of each case, while the surveyor provides detailed schedules of the work required and oversees that work
- Where appropriate, the surveyor will provide drawings and obtain any permissions including those from Planning and Building Control
- Quotations for the work are obtained from Care and Repair's framework of reputable building companies
- The caseworker will put together the grant application and submit it to the authorised officer for approval
- Once the grant has been awarded to the client, a date is set for the work
- The surveyor will oversee all the works while on site and deal with the builders and any other interested party - e.g. Building Control
- The caseworker keeps in contact with the client throughout and will help ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible
- Once the surveyor is satisfied that the work is completed satisfactorily, the grant will be paid
How we select contractors
The building contractors have been through a robust and fully compliant procurement process in order to be included on our frameworks, which includes an agreed Code of Conduct. They are experienced in this type of adaptation work and their performance is closely monitored by the Care and Repair Agency.Adaptation fees
Fees for the delivery of grant funded work are charged at 15% of the cost of work. The fees form part of the grant that is being awarded.Contact
If you wish to enquire about adaptations to your home, then please contact the Occupational Therapy Team in Adult Social Care in the first instance. They will carry out an assessment of your needs.
Please telephone 01733 747474 and ask for Adult Social Care. You will then be directed to the Occupational Therapy Team. The phone line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
