DFG Quality Standard

Local Authorities understand the needs in their area and hold a joint commitment to meeting them​

• Is there a JSNA or other needs analysis?​
• Is housing represented at the Health & Wellbeing Board or a subcommittee?​
• Is there senior officer commitment​?
• Is there and agreement of concordat between Districts and Counties​?
• Is funding allocated in accordance with need?​
• Is there a Memorandum of Understanding on housing and health?​

Before setting up or reconfiguring services it is important to understand the needs of the local population, what already works well and where the gaps are. Equally important is a joint commitment to meeting those needs across organisations and departments.

Commissioning is different to procurement. It offers a means of joining up resources to focus on improving outcomes for citizens in the most efficient and effective way both now and into the future – and may not involve any tendering whatsoever.

Self-assessment

Disabled people are involved in the design of adaptation services​

• Are service users are involved in reviewing and improving delivery of services?​
• Could be as part of an advisory group / user board?​
• Are satisfaction surveys and feedback are monitored and used to improve delivery?

Co-production is a simple concept: combining the expertise of the professionals who provide services and the people who have experience of using them should mean that they work better.

Self-assessment

Disabled people know where to go for help and support with home adaptations​

• Is the availability of assistance and support publicised?​
• Is good quality public information designed in consultation with disabled people?​
• Are GPs and community health workers aware of DFG?​
• Are initial point(s) of contact well known, and include triage and signposting?

Before a disabled person can even consider applying for a DFG, they need to know about it. All information should be presented in Plain English that’s accessible, easy to understand and clear.

To reach all your audience, you need to make effective use of accessible communication formats. Involve disabled people from your audience in developing and reviewing a strategy for producing information in accessible formats. They will know their needs and could help you find the most effective ways of meeting them. You can also approach disability organisations for advice.

Disabled people do not have to search out other services

• Do you provide a single holistic assessment?
• Are home adaptations are delivered collaboratively with other complementary services including:
  • Equipment and minor adaptations
  • Handyperson services
  • Repairs and affordable warmth
  • Home from hospital
  • Telecare and assistive technology, etc…
• Do you provide support for ‘self-funders’?

Local Authorities provide a wide range of support services to people with disabilities. Often these services are provided completely separately with different access points, criteria, application forms and waiting lists. Some of these differences are created in the governing legislation and regulations, but this doesn’t mean that they can’t be delivered in a more person-centred way.

Local Authorities deploy staff to deliver efficiently and effectively​

• Is a single person responsible for the whole customer journey​?
• Do you co-locate staff (OTs, caseworkers, technical officers)?​
• Do you have trusted assessors​?
• Do you employ disabled staff?
• Do staff have opportunities for training and networking?

The people who deliver DFG and related services are a vital element of a quality service. But having good people is only part of the solution, they also need to be deployed efficiently and effectively.

Many reports have noted the split in responsibility for adaptations between districts and counties, housing and social services departments. However these organisational divides do not have to mean disjointed services for customers.

Having a single point of contact helps to build trust with customers. DFG applicants can become frustrated by being passed between people and departments without anyone taking responsibility for a problem. Some areas have multi-skilled staff who are able to assess, design and support for the majority of standard adaptations.

Self-assessment

Disabled people can access assistance with adaptations regardless of their tenure

• Are agreed protocols in place with housing associations?
• Are there equivalent procedures for retained council housing (where applicable)?
• Is there awareness raising with private landlords?

In the legislation, there is no restriction on eligibility for a DFG based on tenure. However, there can be significant differences in practice, particularly for tenants.

Local Authorities have a policy in place that allows DFG funding to meet local needs​

• Do you have a current Housing Assistance / RRO policy that addresses:​
  • Works costing more than £30k​
  • Best use of the test of resources​
  • Appeals process (not fettering discretion)​
  • Appropriate (minimal) bureaucracy​
  • Review process

Since 2008 Local Authorities have been able to use more discretion in the way that they spend their annual DFG allocation from central government. To use this discretion, they must publish a Housing Assistance Policy under The Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002.

Where legislation gives a Local Authority discretion to make decisions, as the Regulatory Reform Order does, the authority must be able to consider each ‘decision’ on its own merits. So, whether or not you have a published policy, you should not ‘fetter’ your discretion by applying a rigid or one-size-fits-all policy to all applications without considering the specific facts of each case.

Self-assessment

Disabled people will be supported to move home if they want to

• Is housing options advice routinely available?
• Is there a register of adapted properties (across tenures)?
• Is support to move home available?

In some cases, it will not be feasible to adapt and in others it may be a better option for the disabled person to consider moving. Deciding whether or not to move can be difficult and emotional, but it should be considered even if immediately discounted.

Disabled people know from the outset how long an adaptation is likely to take to complete

• Are there agreed procedures from first contact to completion?
• Do you have a process for continual improvement?
• Are timescales published as part of service standards?
• Are benchmarking comparisons used?
• Is prioritisation used where appropriate?

The Disabled Facilities Grant is often criticised for being slow and bureaucratic. The current guidance suggests that urgent adaptations should be completed in 55 working days (11 weeks) and non-urgent within 165 working days (33 weeks). Both should include the entire process from initial inquiry through to completion. In many areas these targets are not consistently achieved meaning delays, frustration and, in some case, a fall or other injury that could have been prevented.

Local Authorities provide value for money home adaptations​

• Do you regularly review your specifications​?
• Do you have efficient procurement through frameworks / tender portals?​
• Do you engage with the supply chain​?
• Do you proactively manage a list of contractors​?
• Do you offer aspirational design / client choice​?
• Do you recycle items like stairlifts?
• Do you understand and measure the Social Value of adaptations?

The Disabled Facilities Grant is public money which must be spent wisely. But this does not simply mean driving down costs to deliver the cheapest possible adaptations. It also requires an understanding of the comparative costs of health and social care services and the social value of the adaptations you deliver.