Disabled adaptations

How to request an adaptation

Step One

Contact Disability Services for an initial telephone assessment. The first point of contact if you think that you need an adaptation is Disability Services, who can be contacted on 0161 253 5151. They will carry out an initial telephone assessment. The assessment is in the form of a checklist asking you about how you manage day to day activities. It is at this point that they will signpost you to those who can best help you. They may tell you that you qualify for an Assessment of Need or invite you to attend one of the assessment clinics held at Textile Hall in the centre of Bury.

Alternatively find out how to contact Disability Services here.

Step Two: Assessment of Need

If you meet the criteria for an Assessment of Need you will be visited by an Occupational Therapist who will carry out the assessment in your own home. This will depend on the information you provide during the course of the telephone assessment.

Once the Assessment of Need has been carried out, the Occupational Therapist will make recommendations about what Aids or Adaptations will meet your need.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be offered one or more of the following ways to help:

• Providing equipment or a minor adaptation
• Adapting your current home
• Moving to an adapted or more adaptable property

There are two types of adaptations (these lists are not exhaustive)

A Minor Adaptation:

• Grab rails to aid stability both inside and outside the property
• Half steps to aid those who have difficulty getting over the front door threshold
• Additional stair rails for those who need extra stability getting up the stairs
• Shower seats to assist you when bathing
• An outside ramp if you are unable to get in or out of the property independently

A Major Adaptation:

• A stair lift if you are unable to get upstairs
• Widening doorways to accommodate wheelchairs
• Removing the bath and fitting a Level Access Shower if you are unable to bathe by any other means
• Kitchen adaptations to help you carry out day to day activities
• Extending the property would only be considered after re-housing has been explored and requires a Council Major Adaptations Panel decision.

If an adaptation has been recommended and approved by Disability Services, it is at this point that you will be referred to Six Town Housing.

Step Three

You will be contacted by someone from either the minor or major adaptations team.

In the case of Minor Adaptations: You will be contacted by a member of the Repairs Direct Team who will make an appointment to visit at a time convenient to you, to provide and fit the minor adaptation recommended by an Occupational Therapist.

In the case of Major Adaptations: You will be visited by a Technical Advisor at a time convenient to you, who will carry out a site survey and discuss the recommendation with you.

Depending on the work identified, the Technical Advisor will draw up a schedule of work and arrange for contractors to visit so that they can tender for the work. We can only carry out work that has been recommended by an Occupational Therapist.

The winning tender will be awarded to the contractor submitting the lowest quote.

The Technical Advisor will instruct any contractors carrying out work and will supervise the work until it has been completed to everyone’s satisfaction.

You will then be sent a questionnaire to ask you to comment on the adaptations process from beginning to end. It is important that we have this feedback to ensure that we can continually improve our services to meet the needs and aspirations of our customers.