Adaptations policy
1. Introduction
1.1. One Manchester recognises that a disability can affect a person's ability to fully access their home and live independently. This policy sets out our approach to responding to the needs of customers in an efficient, responsible and sensitive way.
1.2. One Manchester will work in partnership with Manchester City Council (MCC) to provide an adaptations service supported financially by the Governments Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). We’ll deliver the adaptations service efficiently and in ways that provide value for money.
1.3. One Manchester has a regulatory duty to work in partnership with the Local Authority in providing an adaptations service. It’s the Local Authority’s responsibility to assess and allocate adaptations funding.
2. Scope
2.1. The adaptations service is available to One Manchester customers who have been assessed by MCC as needing a minor or major adaptation installed at their home to help them live independently.
2.2. As the landlord, One Manchester will review all adaptation requests to make sure the work is practical and that it’s reasonable to grant the landlord consent for the work to be done.
2.3. Providing an adaptations service depends on financial resources being available. This will be set out each year as part of our business planning process.
2.4. Major adaptations are subject to approval by MCC and funding through the DFG.
3. Definition
3.1. An adaptation is an alteration or addition to a property, the installation of equipment or specialist equipment, to support someone’s ability to live independently.
3.2. Minor adaptations are works costing less than £1,000 to complete.
3.3. A non-standard minor is an adaptation costing less than £1,000, but one that may require a technical feasibility completing, or specialist equipment ordering.
3.4. Major adaptations cost between £1,000 and £100,000 to install and are eligible for funding through the DFG.
3.5. DFG is a government grant managed by MCC available to all residents, regardless of tenure, if eligibility criteria linked to an Assessment of Need (AON) is met.
3.6. Referrals are requests made by customers to be assessed for an adaptation to assist them to live in their home independently.
4. Regulatory and legal considerations
4.1. The Local Authority has statutory responsibility for adaptations funding. One Manchester customers are entitled to apply for Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) through the Local Authority under the terms of the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996.
4.2. As a landlord and a social housing provider, One Manchester has a responsibility under the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010 to address difficulties customers may have that prevents them from enjoying their homes.
4.3. The Equality Act 2010 defines who should be considered as disabled and requires One Manchester to take into account a persons’ disabilities. The Equality Act details how landlords and managers of rented premises should satisfy a ‘Duty to make Reasonable Adjustments’. The duty is not proactive; it arises only when One Manchester is asked to make an adjustment by a customer, or someone acting on their behalf.
4.4. There is no legal requirement under the Equality Act 2010 for One Manchester to make any changes which would include the removal or alteration of a property’s physical feature. The Safety and Quality Regulatory Standard requires providers to co-operate with customers, local authority partners and other relevant organisations to provide a housing adaptations service.
5. Delivery
5.1. Customers can apply for a home adaptation either through One Manchester or MCC, and customers will get advice on next steps.
5.2. One Manchester will fund successful applications for minor adaptation installations that are received through the Manchester Service for Independent Living (MSIL) referral process.
5.3. Customers have the right to have the DFG paid direct to them. They can appoint contractors to plan, design, and install their own adaptation, subject to complying with quality, building and selection of contractor standards. This is required by the DFG application process and One Manchester. If a customer wishes to exercise this right, it must be communicated to One Manchester and MCC before installation starts, and this may or may not be accepted.
5.4. One Manchester will work with MSIL to recycle adaptation and specialist equipment whenever it’s possible and practical to do this.
6. Repair and servicing
6.1. One Manchester will take on all repairing responsibilities for any major and minor adaptations installed under this policy.
6.2. One Manchester will arrange for all required equipment servicing to be done and will reserve the right to recover costs through service charges when appropriate.
7. Associated policies and documents
7.1. Internal documents:
Allocation Policy
Repairs Policy
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
Reasonable Adjustments Policy
7.2. External documents:
Manchester Move Allocations Policy
Manchester Housing Strategy (2022–2032)