Housing services aids and adaptations policy - 6. Applying for an adaptation

Disabled council housing and temporary accommodation tenants, or prospective tenants, can apply for an adaptation in their home for themselves, or a member of their household, in line with our Aids and Adaptations policy. Our Supporting our residents policy explains how we can support residents through this process. The Equality Act 2010 considers a person disabled if they "have a physical or mental impairment that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities".

Making an adaptation to a tenant's existing council housing or temporary accommodation home

Existing tenants, or an advocate or representative acting on their behalf, can make a request for an adaptation in their existing home by completing the online Adult Social Care referral form or calling 0800 145 6095 and requesting a referral form is sent to them to complete. They can also make a request by contacting their housing officer, who can support with making the referral to Adult Social Care as required.

Adult Social Care will respond within five working days of receiving the referral, to acknowledge the request and provide further information on when the assessment will take place. Cases will be prioritised based on urgency and risk.

We will need to assess the request to determine what adaptation is needed and whether it is possible to make the required adaptation in the tenant's existing home.

Households living in council owned temporary accommodation for homeless households will only be granted assistance with minor adaptations. Major adaptations will not be installed in temporary accommodation. We will prioritise Disabled residents living in temporary accommodation for suitable permanent accommodation in line with our Housing Allocations Scheme and homelessness legislation.

In some cases, where a minor adaptation is requested, this assessment will be completed by a surveyor from our in-house Direct Labour Organisation (DLO) repairs team, with appropriate training. Trusted Assessor Level 3 Training is the training course for anyone in a role where they are assessing people to help them remain independent at home through minor adaptations.

In other cases, and for all major adaptations, we will need to arrange for an Occupational Therapist (OT) to carry out an assessment.

In some circumstances, we may decline a request for the adaptation, following our assessment. This will include, but is not limited to, the following circumstances:

  • If the tenant has applied to the Right-to-Buy (RTB) scheme. In this case, the tenant will be signposted to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) as an owner occupier. Their application for an adaptation as a council tenant will be reassessed if the RTB application is withdrawn.
  • Where the property is under occupied by more than one bedroom, taking into account the need for an additional room to store medical equipment, in accordance with 'bedroom tax' provision.
  • Where the property is unsuitable for adaptations due to overcrowding (in accordance with the Tenancy Agreement), except in exceptional circumstances, for example where there is a demonstrated need for a live-in or temporary carer.
  • Where the tenant is in arrears by more than three weeks, or recovery proceedings have commenced, or they are unable to prove that a steady repayments scheme has been agreed with us. The tenant will receive additional support and financial advice from the council's debt advisors, and it may be necessary to consider a move to more affordable accommodation.
  • Where the building structure is considered integrally unsuitable for technical and practical reasons, for example widening doorways in prefab buildings, wet floor showers in beam and block floors.
  • Where the adaptation is considered unreasonable or unsuitable for the tenants' needs, for example installing a level access shower to a flat above ground level where there is no lift to access the flat.
  • Where the proposed adaptation might put others at risk, for example fitting stair lifts in communal areas where this could restrict access and safe fire escape routes.
  • Where the adaptation will have an adverse effect on the housing stock and our ability to re-let the property in the future - for example, if a bedroom will be lost due to the installation of a through-floor lift.
  • Where a medical professional has indicated that the tenant's condition is likely to deteriorate to the extent that the adaptation may not be suitable for them, or they may need further adaptations, within the next five years. In this case, the request will not be refused outright – rather, with the OT's input we will identify an adaptation which is future-proofed for the medium term, aiming to avoid the tenant having to apply for another adaptation and be assessed again in the medium-term.
  • Where the cost of the adaptation is likely to exceed £50,000. In this case, with the OT's input, we will explore other alternative cost-effective solutions within the £50K limit. If this is not possible, we will look for alternative suitable accommodation (see section above on Housing applicants and direct offers).

If we decline a request for an adaptation, we will provide advice to the tenant on their options. These may include moving to more appropriate, suitable accommodation. In these cases, the Occupational Therapist will complete a re-housing report, which will be used to support the re-housing process (see section below on requesting adaptations in a new home).

Where a tenant's needs are urgent, if appropriate we will undertake suitable minor adaptations for an interim period while longer term housing options are being considered.

Any exceptional circumstances will be considered at the H&F Director's Discretion Panel.

Requesting adaptations for a new home - housing applicants

Allocation of council housing properties is based on the criteria set out in Hammersmith and Fulham's Housing Allocation Scheme.

As part of their application for the housing waiting list, housing applicants are asked to provide all relevant information about their housing needs, including any disability or medical need of the household which may impact on their housing requirements. Where possible, we aim to match Disabled housing applicants to an adapted home that will meet their needs, making a direct offer of this home to the tenant. This could mean a part-adapted property could be offered that does not meet exact needs but could with additional adaptations.

We will keep an Accessible Housing List, which lists applicants requiring an adapted property, detailing what is required. Where an adapted property becomes available for re-letting, we will make a direct offer of the property to an applicant for whom the property would be suitable, from this list.

Adaptations in communal areas

We will consider any essential access requirements, including making adaptations to the communal areas of our council housing buildings, based on the Occupational Therapy assessment or assessment by a surveyor who has received relevant training.

Such proposals may require the consent of other residents and will not compromise their safety. We will consider each request on a case-by-case basis and carry out a risk assessment before making the decision to complete the adaptation or reasonable adjustment.

Translate this website