Issue - meetings

Adaptations Policy

Meeting: 23/05/2024 - Cabinet (Item 8)

8 Adaptations Policy pdf icon PDF 290 KB

Report of Councillor N Barker, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategic Leadership and Finance.

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED - That Cabinet endorsed the amendments to the Adaptations Policy.

 

REASONS FOR DECISION - The Policy complies with legislation and provides a framework for administering adaptations funded through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The policy amendments are in line with the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman decision and are based on legislation and case law.

 

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED – An alternative option of not amending  the policy was rejected, as the Council would fail to comply with the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman decision and case law.

 

Please note that this was not a Key Decision and so can be implemented with

immediate effect by officers.

 

Minutes:

Cabinet was asked to endorse an amendment to the Adaptations Policy for Council-owned homes. The report explained that a court decision taken in 2020 stated that Disabled Facilities Grant for local authority housing tenants should be considered on the same basis as those for those in other tenures. Following on from this, the Policy had been amended to reflect the court’s decision. The amendment would result in more adaptations being completed, as applicants would not be required to move into an already adapted property.

 

Members considered the Policy. They welcomed confirmation that the proposed amendment would bring it into line with legislation and case law.

 

RESOLVED - That Cabinet endorsed the amendments to the Adaptations Policy.

 

REASONS FOR DECISION - The Policy complies with legislation and provides a framework for administering adaptations funded through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The policy amendments are in line with the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman decision and are based on legislation and case law.

 

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED - An alternative option of not amending the policy was rejected, as the Council would fail to comply with the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman decision and case law.