Aids & Adaptations

Our commitment

Connexus is committed to making life easier for our customers. We want you to live independently for as long as you wish in your home. We offer adaptations to your home so that your quality of life can be improved.

If you have a disability or long-term medical condition and have difficulty doing everyday tasks, we may be able to help.

We will consider carrying out adaptations to your home, providing that we have received a relevant professional recommendation.

An adaptation is work that is required to your home which will enable you to remain independent for as long as possible.

We class adaptations as minor or major.

Connexus

Minor adaptations

These are works which do not exceed £1,500.

For example:

Internal/external grab-rails
Lever taps
Half steps

These will be completed at your request through our responsive repair service, (subject to available budget) and will be completed at a mutually agreed time.

Major adaptations

These are works over £1,500 and normally alter the structure of your home.

For example:

Level access shower
Disabled access kitchen
Through floor lifts
Stairlifts
Ramps to external doors
Over-bath showers
Shower/bedroom extensions

We will normally undertake the adaptation that best suits your long-term ability to live independently up to £30,000 (subject to available budget).

FAQs

What is a relevant professional recommendation?

For minor adaptations: this can be a doctor’s letter or advice from your Social Worker, Community Housing Officer, Housing Officer or another housing professional.

For major adaptations: this will be a qualified local authority Occupational Therapist (OT).

An OT can:

Assess your needs and suggest what type of adaptation would be the most suitable for you.
Give you advice about easier and safer ways of carrying out various tasks.
Recommend adaptations for your home and help you apply for them.

What we do not do?

Certain works we consider as not appropriate for the balance of our housing stock, or where we cannot adapt for technical reasons. An example of this is a first floor level access shower.

In these circumstances we will explore other options for you, including re-housing.

How long do the works take?

We will try to carry out the works in the minimum time possible.

We will co-ordinate works with other investment to your home.

You should not have to wait more than 21 working days for minor adaptations.

How much do adaptations cost?

We will provide finance within our budgets for limited adaptation work. We will work with our partner Local Authorities to access funding for adaptations, such as Disabled Facilities Grants to which you have a statutory right.

Can I carry out adaptations?

We may allow you to undertake adaptations to your property yourself, subject to our policies. You will need to contact us and seek permission in writing.

Will I have service charges?

If the adaptation requires ongoing maintenance after it is installed, for example, through a maintenance contract, we may charge you a service charge from the date of installation. An example of this would be a stairlift, which needs regular servicing.

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Once work is finished, we will invite you to complete a satisfaction survey. This helps us to monitor and improve services to all our customers.