Decision details

The Committee considered a report by the Head of Environmental Health and Housing (circulated previously) regarding the development of Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) and other Council services to secure disabled adaptations and improvements in residential property.

The Head of Environmental Health and Housing highlighted the following:

·         The Government had increased the funding for DFGs this year via the Better Care Fund, and the Council had further benefited from a reallocation of uncommitted funds from other local authorities in Devon and would enable the Council to provide more services to secure disabled adaptations and improvements in residential property

·         There was a need to communicate widely the availability of funding.

·         A programme would be in place to train staff and partners to ensure that people who would benefit from adaptations have access to the funding.

·         The Council was working with 361 Energy regarding promotion of the scheme.

Councillor Walker addressed the Committee as a service user who had received a Disabled Facilities Grant.  She advised the Committee of the lengthy delays in the process as the DFG system was reliant upon Devon County Council Occupational Therapy.

In response the Head of Environmental Health advised that he would speak with Devon County Council regarding the time delay for Occupational Therapy assessments and would advise the Committee of the outcomes via email.