The Outcome of the Disabled Facilities Grant Application and Next Steps
The statutory timeframe for making a determination following a DFG application is 6 months. It is the responsibility of the Housing Authority to consider the application in a timely way. The Adaptations Service will monitor the progress of the application but you should also do so for the purpose of:
- Making sure that the needs you identified at assessment are met in a timely way; and
- Identifying and responding to any need to provide urgent or interim support.
Monitoring could include:
- E-mail contact with the Adaptations Service;
- Telephone contact with the person or carer.
Proportionate records should be made of all monitoring activity.
If you are concerned about the time it is taking to reach a determination you should discuss your concerns and agree any action with your line manager.
If a DFG application outcome, and any subsequent provision of adaptation is not likely to take place for some time you must consider whether:
- There is appropriate support in place to meet the needs identified during assessment in the interim (either though a carer or an existing Care and Support Plan); and
- If not, the steps that need to be taken to ensure any urgent needs are met.
The procedures for arranging urgent or interim support can be access from the homepage of the team in which you are based.
The Adaptations Service should contact you to:
- Notify you of the outcome of the Disabled Facilities Grant application;
- Explain the rationale for the decision; and
- When the application has been approved, advise you of planned next steps and proposed timeframes to carry out the adaptation; and
- Confirm that the person has been notified of the outcome.
If you have any questions regarding the outcome you should seek clarity, especially when the DFG application was not approved.
You may also be notified of the outcome by the person (or their carer/representative). In this instance you should seek confirmation from the Adaptations Service.
The Housing Authority must write to the person to notify them of the outcome of the application. They must make sure that they communicate in an accessible way and take steps to satisfy themselves that the person understands the outcome of the application.
It is the responsibility of the Adaptations Service to make all arrangements to carry out the adaptation. This includes:
- Gathering any further information required before arranging for the adaptation;
- Carrying out any financial means-testing;
- Providing information and advice to the person and answering any questions they have about the process of carrying out the adaptation;
- Agreeing a suitable time to begin the adaptation;
- Carrying out the adaptation through an approved contractor; and
- Notifying a relevant team if any additional Care and Support is required during any time that works are carried out.
The Occupational Therapy practitioner should:
- Monitor progress of the adaptation as required;
- Notify the Adaptations Service if they become aware of any change in circumstance or need that may impact on the appropriateness of the adaptation.
Monitoring could include:
- E-mail contact with the named contact at the Adaptations Service;
- Telephone contact with the person or carer.
Proportionate records should be made of all monitoring activity.
If you are concerned about the time it is taking to carry out the adaptation you should discuss your concerns and agree any action with your line manager.
Urgent and Interim Support
If an adaptation is delayed or not progressing as intended you must consider whether:
- There is appropriate support in place to meet the needs identified during assessment in the interim (either though a carer or an existing Care and Support Plan); and
- If not, the steps that need to be taken to ensure any urgent needs are met.
The procedures for arranging urgent or interim support can be access from the homepage of the team in which you are based.
Any decision made about next steps should be made with regard to:
- The views of the person about what the next steps should be;
- The views of any carer; and
- The impact of any decision/action on the person's Wellbeing.
If the person intends to proceed to arrange for the adaptation to be carried out using their own financial resource you must provide them with good information and advice about:
- Available contractors that can carry out the required adaptation;
- Specialist advice sources that may be beneficial to them (for example financial advice experts);
- Other options that may be appropriate, such as equipment solutions (subject to an eligibility determination under the Care Act).
If the person wishes to arrange for the adaptation to be carried out it is their responsibility to make the arrangements to do so (with support of their informal networks as required). The Local Authority only has a duty to meet needs that have been determined eligible under the Care Act, not the HGCRA.
If the person wishes to explore other ways to meet their needs you must establish eligibility under the Care Act, unless it is likely that those needs are to be met through a prevention service.
See: Understanding and Applying Eligibility Criteria.
Until eligibility under the Care Act has been determined conversations about ways to meet needs should always be:
- Strengths based to promote independence and resilience; and
- Broad rather than specific.
Last Updated: October 30, 2024
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