If an Occupational Therapist has assessed your child's needs and identified that your home requires some adaptations, you can apply for a grant.

Housing adaptation grants

Grants may be used to:

• Increase access to buildings
• Make a building safe
• Make a room useable for sleeping
• Adapt a bathroom
• Adapt a kitchen to prepare or cook food
• Adapt heating, lighting or power

Adaptation process

If the adaptation costs under £750, the Occupational Therapist (OT) may process the application through Social Care funding. If the work is likely to cost more than this amount, then they will need to liaise with the Council Grants Officer. The Grants Officer will discuss any proposed adaptations with you at your home and complete an application form. If the application is approved, the Grants Officer is able to give a mandatory grant of up to £30,000.

If the grant is likely to exceed £30,000, then the OT will have to inform their service manager, and a report will be sent to our Executive Committee. There is no guarantee that a request for additional money will be successful. The OT may also try to source funding from charities and outside organisations.

Once application forms have been completed, and adaptations agreed, the OT and an architect if required, will send their specifications to the Grants Officer. If the Officer is in agreement, they will draw up a schedule of the work to take place. No work should be started until the Council has given formal, written approval. If, during the course of the work, unforseen costs arise, a further grant may be available. This will not be the case if the £30,000 limit has already been reached.

During the work

The Grants Officer will carry out regular progress inspections as the work is taking place. Once it is completed, all work will be inspected by the Occupational Therapist and Grants Officer before the full grant is paid.