Council leaders given update on delivery of disabled facility grants in Staffordshire
Council leaders have been given an update on the delivery of disabled facility grants since the transfer of services only a year ago.
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In that time 148 property adaptations have been approved and 105 adaptations have been delivered.
In February 2022, Lichfield District Council's cabinet approved the establishment of an in-house service to deliver the grants, delivered through the council’s wholly owned trading company, LWMTS (Lichfield West Midlands Traded Service Ltd). This was thanks to an options appraisal conducted in summer 2021 when it was decided not to extend the current contract.
The aim of the grants is to enable residents to live independently, or to enhance the care they receive from others. This is achieved by providing tailored adaptations and aids, ranging from level access wet rooms, through to stairlifts, hoists and ramps.
In the first full year of transferring the service a total of £1,299,210.73 has been approved, which represents 148 adaptations and £804,255.41 has been delivered. Funding for the grants is provided through the Better Care Fund distributed by Staffordshire County Council.
A report to cabinet members states that when the service was transferred to LWMTS 55 per cent of customers had received no input in relation to their referral and only seven per cent of customers had a grant awarded. Now all customers have received contact and 23 per cent of customers have had a grant awarded, with a further 54 per cent having had an occupational therapy appointment.
The time it takes for getting grant approval had also fallen from 184 days to 112, a 64 per cent improvement. Additionally the time it takes for completion on adaptations has also fallen to 160 days down from 237 days.
Councillor Alex Farrell, cabinet member for housing and local plan told fellow cabinet members: “A DFG funds an adaptation to someone’s property, which can be a small adaptation, it could be a big one but it means the world to these people.
“These are people that maybe struggle to get around the house, struggle to maybe get in the front door, shower those types of things and the work the team is doing to make sure they get their adaptations but also get them swiftly is phenomenal really."
