Decision Details

To adopt the new Policy and approve the appointment of three additional members of staff.  
This will enable the Council to work more efficiently and maximise the number of adaptations carried out using the funds available and to thereby assist the greatest number of residents. This in turn will allow people to remain in their homes more safely and independently and reduce the demand on the Health and Social Services.  

To do nothing 

The service will be unlikely to use the whole of the grant funding allocated to East Suffolk to the detriment of the residents and the Health and Social Services due to the lack of provision to deal with the increasing need for adaptations for the ageing population. 

To partially approve the recommendations 

The adoption of the Policy without the additional staff is likely to only minimally increase the number of adaptations that can be carried out by the team.  The approval of the staff without the Policy will enable far greater numbers of adaptation works to be undertaken.  

The approval of just one or two of the additional members of staff would create an imbalance in the work to be created, placing increased pressure on parts of the team and not allow the team to achieve their maximum work output.

That Cabinet: 

1. Adopt the attached Housing Assistance Policy – Disabled Adaptations as Council Policy under the Regulatory Reform Order (Housing Assistance) (England & Wales) 2002. 

2. Approve the proposed re-structure and appointment of three additional members of staff: an Occupational Therapist (for a fixed term of 2 years), a Senior Case Officer and a Technical Officer. These additional posts to be funded from the Disabled Facility Grant budget with no impact on the General Fund. 

3. Delegate authority to the Head of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Housing, to make minor amendments to the Housing Assistance Policy – Disabled Adaptations as required to ensure the best use of the Disabled Facilities budget as required.