Cabinet Member for Housing
Decision:
It was RESOLVED-
That the Regulatory Reform Order Policy on Minor Disabled Adaptation Scheme as described in Option 1 be adopted and reviewed in 12 months.
Reason for Decision: For a Regulatory Reform Order Policy on Minor Disabled Adaptation Scheme to be used legally, members need to have adopted such a scheme.
Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:
1.1 Option 1: Adopt a separate RRO Policy. The existing Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) process can be long and complex and often comes at a time of crisis. The criteria for a DFG is very rigid and has remained relatively unchanged for 20 years. The introduction of an RRO enables greater flexibility around the use of DFG funding to ensure local authorities can target resources to tackle local issues which may be preventing people being able to remain at home and live independently.
It gives power to an authority to provide ‘’assistance in any form, to any person to repair, adapt or rebuild residential premises’’. There are a number of scenarios where removing the requirement to make a full Disabled Facilities Grant application would enable an application for an adaptation or provision of equipment to progress quickly. An RRO allows the provision of small-scale adaptations to fulfil needs not covered by mandatory DFG’s. Below are the proposed changes to the current DFG process.
· Where the cost of the adaptation is £4,999.99 or less the requirement to undertake a means test will be removed. This figure is used, as above this, costs are registered as a local land charge and there is a requirement to repay monies if the property is sold within ten years. Adaptation work below £1000 are dealt with by the County Council. Keeping the figure at £4,999.99 simplifies matters and does not penalise applicants who have incurred a charge historically. By applying a financial ceiling, the risk of public funds being misappropriated is proportional to the benefit of the costs of administering a more complex process.
Examples of work that would be covered within this limit include ramps, bathing/washing facilities, additional heating, stairlifts, key safes, wash/dry toilets. The removal of the means test in these circumstances has received approval from Foundations (a body appointed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to oversee Home Improvement Agencies and offer advice on DFG’s).
· Where works exceed £5,000 the standard DFG process will be followed which includes a means test.
· Where adaptations are straightforward, it can remove the requirement for an Occupational Therapist referral. This is often the bottleneck in the adaptation process therefore removing this should speed up the end to end journey. Further details can be found in the Key Information, 4.6 - 4.9.
1.2 Option 2 – No change to the existing RRO policy. This option keeps the provision of grants as statutory through the DFG process with the option to help people with physical disabilities. It follows a prescribed process which could be considered as equitable, however some residents will continue to be put off by the process and there is little risk to the Council in providing a DFG for people who could afford to pay for the adaptations themselves. However, this will mean the considerable underspend will continue and our vulnerable residents will not get the assistance they need.
Any Declarations of Interest Declared: None
Any Dispensation Granted: None
Minutes:
137.1 Councillor Osborne introduced report BCa/18/77 and MOVED the recommendations in the report stating that a regulatory reform order gave powers to local authorities to use disabled facilities grant budget more innovatively and with greater flexibility. This flexibility allowed authorities to apply appropriate solutions to problems which they face within their area. The mandatory disabled facilities grant was out of date and the application process could be complex, long and come at a time when people were at crisis. Babergh had a significant underspend of the disabled facilities grant budget and a great concern was that vulnerable residents were not receiving the assistance they needed to enable them to remain at home and live independent lives. The proposed Regulatory Reform Order Policy aimed to address some of the issues which were contributing to the underspend at Babergh whilst helping as many people as possible to be safe, well and remain at home by expanding the circumstances in which help would be available. A wider piece of work to consider the Suffolk picture and the current Orbit home improvement agency was also underway.
137.2 Councillor Ward asked for a seconder and stated that simplifying these and making minor improvements made a lot of sense and would help things considerably.
137.3 Councillor Barrett SECONDED the recommendations in the report.
137.4 Councillor Lawrenson stated that this was a fabulous policy being brought forward and that it was very important that support was given to those less fortunate in the community and suggested that there be a review in a years’ time to check how the money had been allocated.
137.5 Councillor Osborne stated that the recommendation did state that it would be reviewed in 12 months’ time.
137.6 Councillor Maybury asked that paragraph 4.20 be reviewed as it mentioned over bath showers which were not suitable for disabled people. Councillor Maybury also stated that she was glad that it was stated in paragraph 5.2 that there was a chronic shortage of retirement homes and that this was something which should be reviewed.
137.7 Councillor Osborne replied to Councillor Maybury’s comment about over bath showers by stating that there are quite a few people disabled or not who actually preferred a bath to a shower and that facilities were available such as lifts.
137.8 Councillor Davis thanked Councillor Osborne and the team for compiling this report.
137.9 Councillor Grandon stated there was a need to publicise this to make people aware that there were funds available.
137.10 Councillor Osborne stated that other agencies were keen to work with the Council and that a model had been agreed that included working with GP’s and making sure that staff in hospitals were aware of the availability of this fund. Councillor Osborne stated that there may be a lot of demand for this funding but the understanding was that the more that could be delivered and the more funding that the Council could demonstrate could be used to useful effect then the government would increase the funding available.
137.11 Councillor Ridley expressed his concern that £5,000 was not going to go very far.
137.12 Councillor Lawrenson stated that there needed to be awareness of budget considerations.
137.13 Councillor Campbell commented that on the information bulletin 1.4 stated that the additional money must be committed by 31st March 2019 and asked if this was possible.
137.14 Councillor Osborne replied that the additional funding criteria was to spend it by 31st of March and it was being used to buy equipment and to look at providing temporary accommodation in both Babergh and Mid Suffolk to use the money and not lose it.
137.15 The Senior Environmental Health Officer, stated that a list was being drafted of equipment to ensure the money was not lost and regarding the temporary housing this was intended to be used as a first step for people when returning home from hospital and it was being investigated whether this money could be used for that project.
137.16 Councillor Osborne commended the team for their hard work and innovative thinking.
By a unanimous vote
It was RESOLVED-
(i) That the Regulatory Reform Order Policy on Minor Disabled Adaptation Scheme as described in Option 1 of the report be adopted and reviewed in 12 months.
Reason for Decision: For a Regulatory Reform Order Policy on Minor Disabled Adaptation Scheme to be used legally, members need to have adopted such a scheme.
Supporting documents: