There are 4 conditions applied to the grant within the legislation. It must be reasonable, practicable, necessary and appropriate and can be used for:
- access to the dwelling
- space to move around to provide care
- access to a bedroom, bath, wash basin, toilet, living room and kitchen where applicable
- safety of the child and family in the home
- access to an area of the garden where feasible
Please refer to the gov.uk website for more information on disabled facilities grant.
As Occupational Therapists we have the experience of equipment and the environmental needs for children and young people with disabilities and can assess what is deemed “necessary and appropriate” for the applicant for a Disabled Facilities Grant.
The “reasonable and practicable” parts of the grant conditions are investigated by the grant’s technical officers with assistance where necessary from architects and/or surveyors. We will support you through the process to ensure the needs of your child are met.
Once there is agreement of the needs of your child or young person a referral is made by the Occupational Therapists (OTs) to the grants team for a feasibility visit.
A feasibility visit seeks to explore whether the assessed needs of the child can be met by the proposed environmental alterations/modifications. The DFG places a responsibility on all parties to first ensure that the property cannot be re-configured to fulfil the child’s needs within its current footprint, for example, by converting an integral garage to a bedroom, or using an existing separate reception room to create a bedroom.
If it is established that this is not possible, options for an extension to fulfil the child’s needs can be considered. The architects and team at BCP Council will work closely with the OTs to fulfil their recommendations.
Any design processes for extensions or the creation of additional space, takes time and can involve several drawings and liaison with internal and external providers. Some families choose to further extend their property at the same time to create additional rooms or increased storage space for equipment, for example. Any additional works above the recommended and assessed needs of the child would need to be planned and funded privately.
The families preferred Disabled Facilities Grant plan (for owner occupiers) can be used if the OTs can confirm that this plan will also fulfil the recommended needs of the child or young person. Should the family wish to proceed after plans have been produced, the plans, along with a schedule of works, are sent out to approved builders through BCP Council to gain quotes for the work, and, any planning permission etc. Families can choose to obtain a quote from their own builders should they wish, but work will still need to be checked and signed off at regular intervals and fulfil the works detailed in the schedule.
If the costs of the building works are expected to exceed the maximum grant of £30,000, the additional monies would need to be sought. At this point, discussions would need to carried out between all parties to determine where the additional funds may come from.
There are occasions where properties can not be adapted or extended due to planning or structural issues, if this is the case the family may need to consider moving to a new house. Occupational Therapists can write a supporting housing needs letter for families who do not own their own properties which will support a possible house move to a more suitable property. It should be noted that families may remain on the housing register for some time before a suitable property becomes available. The OTs will try to support alternative practical short-term solutions as much as possible whilst you are waiting to move.
Children with complex/severe neurodevelopmental conditions and sensory processing difficulties are eligible to be assessed, however we would need to see evidence that behavioural support plans and strategies have not been successful in reducing/preventing risks before they can be considered for a DFG.