Aids & Adaptations

BITMO’s aim is to support people to who are disabled to continue to live in their homes with the benefit of reasonable adjustments, where it is practical to do so.

Where it is not practical to do so because the adaptation required is structural, significant and/or not practical in terms of the best use of council housing stock, consideration will be given in the first instance to whether suitable alternative accommodation is available that would meet the physical and practical needs of the household.

Work will be undertaken where it is necessary and appropriate, and it is reasonable and practicable to adapt the property. Decisions on the interpretation of legislation and guidance rest with BITMO. Advice is taken from Occupational Therapists.

The work undertaken will be the most reasonably practicable adaptation to meet the assessed needs of the disabled person whilst protecting the long-term viability of the asset. The work will be carried out by BITMO’s retained contractor. If the work is outside the capability of the contractor, it will be offered by tender to suitably qualified and experienced contractors that are approved by Leeds City Council (LCC).

1) Eligible works

Adaptations will be considered to:

Facilitate access by the disabled occupant to and from the dwelling.

• Make the dwelling safe for the disabled occupant and other persons living with them.
• Facilitate access by the disabled occupant to a room used or usable as the principal family room.
• Facilitate access by the disabled occupant to a room used or usable for sleeping.
• Facilitate access by the disabled occupant to a room in which there is a lavatory.
• Facilitate access by the disabled occupant to, or providing for the disabled occupant, a room in which there is a bath or shower (or both).
• Facilitate access by the disabled occupant to, or providing for the disabled occupant, a room in which there is a wash hand basin.
• Facilitate the preparation and cooking of food by the disabled occupant.
• Improve any heating system in the dwelling, to meet the needs of the disabled occupant.
• Facilitate the use by the disabled occupant of a source of power, light or heat by altering the position of one or more means of access to or control of that source or by providing additional means of control.
• Facilitate access and movement by the disabled occupant around the dwelling, to enable them to care for a person who is normally a resident there and needs such care.
• Facilitate access to and from a garden by a disabled occupant or making access to a garden safe for a disabled occupant.

2) Ineligible works

Provision of secondary access from the dwelling house, unless there are
exceptional circumstances as approved by the LCC Panel.

• Formation of patios, decked areas, garden paths, walkways from garages and sheds
• Storage areas and charging points for wheelchair/scooters.
• Creating a safe play area and/or fencing, unless there are exceptional circumstances as approved by the LCC Panel.
• Storage areas, for example children’s equipment, medical equipment etc.
• Parking bays/disabled parking areas.
• Dropped kerbs, hard standings, and ramps for non-wheelchair users/nondrivers (dropped kerbs, hard standings and ramps will only be considered when a person has been assessed by the Wheelchair Service as meeting the criteria for wheelchair provision), unless there are exceptional circumstances.
• Automatic door opening systems to main doors will not be provided unless the disabled person is otherwise unable to open the door, to safely access and leave the property independently (this would usually only apply to wheelchair users.

3) Suitable alternative accommodation

Where the adaptation required involves provision of a wet floor shower, or stair lift or other extensive work, we will in the first instance consider whether suitable alternative accommodation might become available into which the household could be given priority for a move.

4) Under occupation and over occupation

If the property is too large for the needs of the resident according to LCC’s allocations policy, suitable alternative accommodation will be offered rather than adapting a property for e.g., a single occupant living in a two- or three-bedroom family house requests a wet floor shower room. We will aim to offer a property that is already adapted, or that provides level access accommodation, and that has the required number of bedrooms, thus releasing family accommodation for use. If the property is too small for the needs of the household, we will aim to offer suitable alternative accommodation.

5) Reasonable and practicable

Following the Occupational Therapist (OT) assessment and recommendation, BITMO must determine whether it would be “reasonable and practicable” to adapt the property. The considerations made as to whether it is “reasonable and practicable” are as follows:

• The layout, construction, age, and condition of the property, e.g., narrow stairs and corridors.
• The number, ages and needs of the other occupants of the accommodation.
• The use of the accommodation by the disabled person and any other occupants, including relationships and how they interact.
• The location of the accommodation, e.g., steep access to the property.
• Any other options that have been considered less practicable than the proposed work.
• Planning and Building Regulation constraints.
• Successful adaptations carried out in similar types of accommodation.
• The implications of carrying out the required adaptation with regard to its future use and classification and potential hardship issues, e.g., spare room subsidy.

6) Gardens and fencing

Access to a garden can be considered, to enable the disabled person to dry clothes, play, or supervise play or carry out gardening. The specific access would need to be determined by the OT.

The most reasonably practicable solution for providing access to both the dwelling and the garden will be provided and wherever possible, one access would be provided to access the dwelling and garden. The work to be considered will not include landscaping gardens or fencing etc.

Work will not be done to provide for the disabled person to access different levels of the garden. In the case of a child who has an identified need due to a learning disability, affecting behaviour and safety of the child, consideration will be made for the provision of a safe outside area of no more than 5sq metres, with appropriate fencing if required.

Work will not be carried out to extend an existing access e.g., creating a side access so a person can also go around the side of a house, if there is already suitable access.

Where homes have communal gardens (e.g., blocks of flats served by a single access), we will not undertake work to provide for an individual to access the garden unless it can be demonstrated that, because of the disabled person’s condition, the travel distance to the garden would be excessive and unreasonable.

Decking in any form will not be considered for assistance.

7) Decision and Appeal

Decisions are made by BITMO. On occasions where the situation is complex, or the work required is extensive the OT recommendation will be referred to the LCC adaptations panel for advice.

A decision will be made and notified within 3 months of a referral being made by the Occupational Therapy Service.

If the subject of the referral, their carer, or the Occupational Therapy Service, are not satisfied with the decision they can request a review by the Independent Appeal Panel at LCC.