If you or someone living with you has a disability or is struggling to live independently, we may be able to help you adapt your home to make everyday tasks easier.
We are committed to ensuring that all customers can live safely and independently within their homes. As well as refurbishing and developing properties that are designed to be accessible, modifying homes to be more accessible is a key part in allowing our customers to gain and maintain independence.
Adaptations form a key part of our approach to promoting independence, wellbeing and improving the quality of life of our customers. In addition to this, our role in providing adaptations also supports partners across the wider health and social care sector, reducing trips and falls, preventing hospital and care admissions and supporting effective hospital discharge.
Great Places funds and carries out minor adaptations up to £1000. Our repairs service will undertake minor adaptations so long as the equipment required is easily available. Normally, we will need 28 days to complete such work. In certain circumstances such as where specialist equipment is needed then this timescale may be longer. No Occupational Therapist referral is required for minor adaptations.
If you would like a minor adaptation then you can contact our repairs team on 0300 123 1966 or email >customerhub@greatplaces.org.uk or you can request this through the Chatabot.
Customers may be eligible to access a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) from their Local Authority to fund major adaptations and all requests will require an Occupational Therapist assessment. Information about DFG funding and assessments can be found online by searching for the name of your Local Authority plus ‘adaptations’ (e.g. Trafford Adaptations). If you require support to contact your Local Authority, please contact Great Places on 0300 123 1966 or email customerhub@greatplaces.org.uk or you can request this through the Chatabot on our website.
We will work closely with Occupational Therapists to ensure that major adaptations meet customers’ needs in a sustainable way, especially where DFG is accessed by the customer.
The amount of contribution made by Great Places is the same across all Local Authority areas to ensure fairness and consistency for customers and to make best use of the Great Places adaptations budget and Local Authority Disabled Facilities Grant budgets.
Tier 1
Great Places will provide up to 40% of funding for major adaptations up to £10,000 (a maximum of £4000), with the remaining cost to be met by Disabled Facilities Grant.
Tier 2
Where the total cost is more than £10,000, Great Places will take a panel approach to decisions for the contribution (including percentage) towards major adaptations.
Many local authorities have lengthy waiting lists for Occupational Therapist assessments for major adaptations, although they may operate a priority waiting list. If you need a major adaptation urgently then you should contact to us to discuss your housing options.
Great Places will undertake a Feasibility Assessment for all major adaptation requests. This assessment will include speaking to customers to ensure that the property will continue to meet your needs and to assess that the property is suitable for adaptation.
Where the major adaptation cannot be carried out due to the building structure or would not promote best use of the property (for example under-occupation), we will work with the customer to advise on and support a move to accommodation that meets their needs. Great Places acknowledges the restrictions on available suitable accommodation and delays that occur with Choice Based Letting systems. Great Places will work proactively with Local Authority partners to establish adapted property lists in local areas and to support priority moves for customers requiring this. Any decision to not carry out an adaptation and to ask a customer to relocate will be taken in the context of managing any residual risk to the customer from continuing to live in the property.
If your request for a major adaptation is approved, Great Places will work with the local authority until the adaptation is completed. The work will normally be undertaken by the contractor chosen by the local authority. We will inspect the adaptation afterwards to ensure the work has been undertaken to a good standard and make a record of the adaptation and any servicing requirements.
