Re-launched Accessible Homes service promises better assistance

Bristol City Council has revamped and renamed its Home Adaptations service in a move aimed at offering service users a greater range of options, speeding up waiting times and providing a service that offers better value-for-money.

The overhauled service will be better placed to meet the increasing demand for assistance and help more older and disabled people to remain in their home, where appropriate, enabling them to enjoy an improved quality of life.

Accessible Homes is viewed as a key priority service and an additional £500,000 has been allocated in the current financial year to ensure that the new arrangements are successfully implemented and more people helped.

Councillor Anthony Negus, Cabinet Member for Housing, Property and Regeneration, said: “The re-focused Accessible Homes service will enable us to deliver a quicker, more efficient service to older and disabled people.

“Customers will benefit from improved advice and information from the start of the process, reduced waiting times and a wider range of options to meet their needs, offering a service that is better-placed to meet rising expectations.”

Following the review the service will:

• Bring staff from adult care and housing officers dealing with adaptations under one manager leading to greater efficiency
• Speed up help through the use of a centre for Occupational Therapy assessment based at the Care and Repairs office in Old Market, rather than a home visit in order to carry out the assessment
• Make greater use of approved contractors to carry out home surveys and adaptations work in order to increase the capacity to meet demand
• Develop a wider range of tailored solutions to meet assessed need including, where appropriate, a greater emphasis on moving to a new home, with support
• Instigate a new case worker role, the holder of which will co-ordinate the process and keep customers updated on progress
• Develop a more flexible workforce through a comprehensive training programme in order to develop a broader range of skills

Some of the improvements have already been tested and have led to a significant reduction in waiting times for the occupational therapist assessment and modifications in the homes of disabled people. In addition several people have been successfully re-housed into more suitable homes. .