Adaptations, repairs and improvements

What does it do?

We provide a service for older residents and people with disabilities to help with repairs, improvements and adaptations to enable independent living and improve quality of life. Private tenants can also benefit from the service with the co-operation of their landlords.

What actually happens?

If you are seeking a grant towards the cost of works:

  • A referral is sent to Care and Repair from the occupational therapist
  • An initial means test is carried out to indicate whether the client is likely to be eligible for grant aid
  • If grant aid is not available the client is informed and ways forward discussed
  • If the client wants Care and Repair to act as their agent, appointments are made for a caseworker and a surveyor to visit
  • The caseworker deals with the funding side of each case, while the surveyor provides detailed schedules of the work required
  • Where appropriate the surveyor will provide drawings and obtain any permissions including those from Planning and Building Control
  • Quotations for the work are obtained from Care and Repair's pool of reputable building companies
  • Where a grant is being applied for, the caseworker will put together the package and submit it to the our officers for approval
  • Once the grant has been awarded to the client, a date is set for the work
  • The surveyor will oversee all the works while on site and deal with the builders and any other officers, for example, grants officers or building control officers
  • The caseworker keeps in contact with the client throughout and will help ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible
  • Once the agency surveyor is satisfied that the work is completed satisfactorily, the grants officer will visit to check that he is satisfied.
  • Once the grant officer has agreed that the work has been completed properly, the grant will be paid. This will include the cost of any fees incurred for the work

If you will be paying for the works yourselves:

  • Where clients want the Agency to carry out private works they can contact Care and Repair directly and we will discuss their needs and what we can offer.
  • We offer a similar service including design, drawing, obtaining of estimates and overseeing of the works to those clients accessing grants and other funding.