 | What does it do?Our core service provides help and advice for older and/or disabled persons dealing with repairs, adaptations, and home safety issues. We can help decide what work is needed, obtain estimates from reliable local builders and ensure work is carried out satisfactorily. We help obtain funding for the work if necessary. This may come via council grants or loans, charitable funds, insurance claims or maturity loans.
We have Handyperson schemes that offer practical help that would help prevent a fall or are a safety issue. It is for small works such as grab rails, putting up blinds and tracks, repairs to steps, small ramps/handrails, small plumbing and electrical jobs, lowering thresholds, mopstick rails, changing light bulbs or any small job that would put health or safety at risk. We also supply and fit Keysafes.
We offer checks to identify potential hazards and use our good working relations with local organisations to give advice and help on how to correct them.
We also offer advice regarding benefits and energy efficiency.
We administrate a Hospital Discharge Scheme to help prevent bed blocking by quickly dealing with adaptations making it possible for patients to return home and remain independent.
Our Home Maintenance Scheme ensures vulnerable householders maintain the upkeep their homes. We can arrange for one of our approved local contractors to carry out small jobs of the kind that would usually be completed by most adults but are proving too difficult due to age or disability.
We install security measures, when instructed by the police, to homes of victims of domestic abuse. |
Who it is for: Older and/or disabled persons mostly. Some services are for any vulnerable person. | Ethnic / cultural aspects: Due to the nature of our work we tend to gear towards elderly and disabled groups but of course adhere to a strict equality policy. | Where it is available: Local service covering: Swale (Kent). Swale in Kent. Some services cover further a field (hospital discharge, handyperson services) and other Local Authorities have in the past ‘bought in’ our service to help with their own cases. | What it costs: There is no charge to users of our core service.
We subsidised the labour costs on our Home Maintenance Scheme and charge £5 per hour for those receiving benefits and £10 per hour for those that aren’t. Keysafes are supplied and fitted for £30 and Grabrails for £5; mopstick handrails are £35. | How to access or apply for it: Most services are self referral and can be accessed in the usual ways via telephone, email, fax or post. Any member of the team can help. | What to expect then: On most occasions a caseworker is allocated and will carry out a home visit to assess the situation, and talk through the procedure. A contractor or our handyperson may call to carry out work without an assessment for straight forward, smaller jobs. All visits are by appointment only. | Additional information: Every year Staying Put hosts a Living in Safety Event in one of the main town in the borough to offer older and/or disabled persons advice and information on how to live safely and independently in their homes. The Event consists of a number of stands and demonstrations from various organisations that work jointly with Staying Put including the NHS, Age Concern and Social Services; there are also clubs and organisations that people may wish to see with a view to joining and tea and cakes made and served by local school children. | Classification(s): Home maintenance, Legal & financial, Moving home, Information & options appraisal, Safety & security, Adaptations - minor, Adaptations - major, Financial advice (benefits), Housing options, Moving home, Housing options appraisal | Info last updated: 11/11/2010. |
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