Agenda item
Motion C: Review and Improve the Fast Track Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG): Proposed by Councillor Genny Early, Seconded by Councillor Andrew Prosser
Proposed by: Councillor Genny Early
Seconded by: Councillor Andrew Prosser
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rapidly progressing condition – a third of people die within a year of diagnosis and half within two years. As the disease progresses, symptoms worsen and needs increase, often unpredictably. People living with progressive or terminal conditions like MND deserve to live in safe, accessible homes. They have the right to independence and quality of life in the time they have left.
Council notes:
- It is our council’s role to ensure that local people living with MND are supported to access the home adaptations they need in a timely manner. The current system can be too slow to respond to the rapidly changing needs of people with MND. Without timely support, people face becoming trapped in unsuitable and unsafe homes. This risks significant negative impacts on their health and well-being, including increased risk of avoidable hospital admissions and early entry into care.
- The MND Association has proposed a set of recommendations and highlighted examples of good practice in their recent report, A Lifeline Not a Luxury.
- One such recommendation is to speed up applications for the funding and installation of home adaptations. This would be hugely beneficial for people living with MND, who could live safely at home for longer, maintain their health and wellbeing for as long as possible, and remain engaged with their communities, family and friends. People living with MND do not have time to wait – every day is critical.
- This council recognises that people with progressive conditions should be able to apply for adaptations as early as possible following diagnosis, so that their future needs can be anticipated rather than responded to in crisis. This council also recognises that early interventions can save taxpayer money by enabling people to manage their condition more effectively and reducing the need for critical interventions at a later stage.
Council resolves to:
- Request officers to review the fast-track process for delivering home adaptations for people with progressive or terminal conditions such as MND, and taking all necessary steps to ensure that target timeframes of 55 days for simple adaptations and 130 days for complex adaptations are adhered to. These timelines are based on the national guidance set out by Foundations on Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) delivery standards.
- With that in mind, the council recognises that 55 days (almost two months) should be seen as a maximum, and that this timeframe is not appropriate for smaller adaptations such as ramps or stairlifts. The goal is to ensure these smaller adaptations are completed much faster.
Minutes:
Councillor Genny Early introduced the motion and advised that she had altered this, and it now read as follows:
“Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rapidly progressing condition – a third of people die within a year of diagnosis and half within two years. As the disease progresses, symptoms worsen and needs increase, often unpredictably. People living with progressive or terminal conditions like MND deserve to live in safe, accessible homes. They have the right to independence and quality of life in the time they have left.
Council notes:
- It is our council’s role to ensure that local people living with MND are supported to access the home adaptations they need in a timely manner. Without timely support, people face becoming trapped in unsuitable and unsafe homes. This risks significant negative impacts on their health and well-being, including increased risk of avoidable hospital admissions and early entry into care.
- The MND Association has proposed a set of recommendations and highlighted examples of good practice in their recent report, A Lifeline Not a Luxury.
- One such recommendation is to speed up applications for the funding and installation of home adaptations. This would be hugely beneficial for people living with MND, who could live safely at home for longer, maintain their health and wellbeing for as long as possible, and remain engaged with their communities, family and friends. People living with MND do not have time to wait – every day is critical.
- This council recognises that people with progressive conditions should be able to apply for adaptations as early as possible following diagnosis, so that their future needs can be anticipated rather than responded to in crisis. This council also recognises that early interventions can save taxpayer money by enabling people to manage their condition more effectively and reducing the need for critical interventions at a later stage.
Council resolves to:
- Request officers to review the fast-track process for delivering home adaptations for people with progressive or terminal conditions such as MND, and taking all necessary steps to ensure that actions within the Councils control are delivered as quickly as possible.
- Include data on its DFG performance, which is captured in the Delta Balanced Scorecard published annually by MHCLG, in its existing Performance Reports, to also review how data on client satisfaction with completeness and timeliness of responses, and satisfaction overall can be collected.
- Provide clear, accessible information to residents and families about the fast-track process, eligibility, and expected timeframes. Establish a named officer contact for urgent cases to support families through the process.
- Ensure its Disabled Facilities Grant Policy has regard to the needs of those suffering from conditions such as MND to enable the right adaptations to be delivered as swiftly as possible.”
Councillor Early suggested that the aim of the motion was to increase the speed and quality of this service to residents and advised that the alterations had been made following discussion with officers. Councillor Early noted that some of the data originally requested was managed by Oxfordshire County Council and would not have been possible to gather. However, the resolutions did involve gathering some data that would improve accountability. The inclusion of a named officer for urgent cases would help to deliver clear expectations on time frames for delivery of DFG.
The alteration of the original motion was accepted by the seconder, Councillor Andrew Prosser. There were no objections to the alteration from Members.
Councillor Andrew Prosser seconded the altered motion and stated that, even with LGR, it was important to put in place a marker for the urgency of action required in such cases.
Members debated the altered motion, and the following points were raised:
- All steps taken to speed up the DFG process for residents with MND was welcome. Delays in delivery had led to admissions to nursing homes in some cases.
- The motion could be extended to other conditions.
- There was a critical shortage of homes with suitable adaptations in place for people with MND and other conditions.
- Executive and Planning Committee Members were urged to liaise with the Planning Department to ensure housing developers included appropriately adapted homes in their delivery of new build sites.
- The definition of the word “urgent” in such cases was clarified as being part of the Occupational Therapist assessment which led to cases received priority.
Councillor Early summarised her motion by agreeing with Members who had suggested extending the motion beyond MND and the need to include adapted housing in new build developments. Councillor Early noted that the Council’s Home Improvement Officer had dealt with 459 applications in three years, this was considered to be good, however there was still room for improvement.
The motion was put to the vote as follows:
For 39, Against 0, Abstentions 0
Resolved: The Council
- Requested officers to review the fast-track process for delivering home adaptations for people with progressive or terminal conditions such as MND, and taking all necessary steps to ensure that actions within the Councils control are delivered as quickly as possible.
- Include data on its DFG performance, which is captured in the Delta Balanced Scorecard published annually by MHCLG, in its existing Performance Reports, to also review how data on client satisfaction with completeness and timeliness of responses, and satisfaction overall can be collected.
- Provide clear, accessible information to residents and families about the fast-track process, eligibility, and expected timeframes. Establish a named officer contact for urgent cases to support families through the process.
- Ensure its Disabled Facilities Grant Policy has regard to the needs of those suffering from conditions such as MND to enable the right adaptations to be delivered as swiftly as possible.