Providing Community Support and Social Inclusion for Disabled Children and Young People
at the Ann Tayler Centre
on Thursday 25th February 2010
(next meeting on Thursday 25 March 2010)
Housing
Lettings policy, adaptations and fire safety in the home
23 parents attended the group
Professionals attending
Aysegul Dirik
Gillian Goodchild
Scilla Morgan
Robert Raby
Pat Howley
Sheila Ramdular
Catherine Love
+ interpreter
John Isted London Borough of Hackney
Heather Scott Occupational Therapist, The Ark
Mike Logan & Martin Devine London Fire Service Community Safety Team
Aysegul Dirik facilitated the meeting.
1. Introductions from the speakers and parents:
Ayse welcomed everyone to the group and all present introduced themselves.
2. John Isted - Housing Demand Manager
John gave an overview of Hackney's lettings policy, which includes making nominations to Housing Association properties in addition to Hackney's own housing stock. The context of lettings is that there are 16,000 people on the waiting list and only 2,000 properties per year, so only 1 in 8 people on the housing list can be accommodated in any one year.
Current choice-based lettings policy was agreed after wide consultation in 2006 and now all properties are listed in a monthly brochure. People on the waiting list can put in a bid for as many properties as they please, without penalty, but the property will be offered in the first instance to the bidder who is deemed top priority e.g. is classed as "urgent". The waiting list is grouped into broad bands, with priorities including
- Serious health (or disability) issues
- Overcrowding, including separate bedrooms for girls and boys
- Length on waiting list
- Homelessness
Since 2002 Hackney has allowed for someone's care needs in terms of allocating an additional bedroom in some cases (e.g. if a child has 24 hour care needs), in adapting an existing property, if appropriate, or moving someone closer to a carer (or caree)
Bids can be made on-line, via phone or text and in person.
John pointed out, however, that a large number of Hackney's most desirable properties and family houses were sold to existing tenants under the "right to buy" law, so much of the current stock is smaller one-bedroom flats or in less popular high-rise estates. He noted that Hackney can also nominate prospective tenants to Housing Associations, another source of social housing. With Housing Associations there is no right to buy, and some properties are not being let. He also noted that some wheelchair-accessible new-builds, particularly with open-plan kitchens, are also quite hard to let. He then took questions from the meeting.
Q Can unlet accessible properties be kept empty, awaiting an appropriate bid?
A No, H.A.s and councils are required to let and not leave properties empty.
Q What about exchanges with other areas of London?
A Yes this is possible, but not many accessible homes are swapped or put into cross-borough pools, probably because of the disabled person's local networks of care.
Q I am confused by all the terminology- what are Housing Associations, Local Neighbourhood Offices?
A Housing Association properties are not council-owned, though the council can nominate families to HAs. Neighbourhood Offices serve their local area tenants.
Q What is decanting and why should I bid if my home is being demolished?
A "Decanting" is being moved to another property, either temporarily or permanently, whilst your current home is being refurbished or demolished/redeveloped. You don't have to bid if you have special needs - you will automatically be offered a suitable home.
Q At what age should different sex children have a separate bedroom?
A When the older child is 10, but because of the waiting lists it is best to start applying when s/he is 8.
Q You are talking about "medical need" and disability in terms of wheelchair users; are other disabilities considered?
A Yes
Q I am a leaseholder. My flat is unsuitable for my disabled child and I can't afford a larger property- but the council won't accept us on the waiting list
A This is because you have an asset - your leasehold - so you are unlikely to qualify. You can request a medical assessment and ask again if the council is able to help, but it is unlikely. You would probably be expected to rent privately (Heather Scott, OT added that Occupational Therapy would follow up this issue to see if they can help)
One parent requested opportunities for parents wield more influence via involvement at the planning stage.
3. Group discussion and feedback
The group considered the question "What is the most important thing in a new home?". The following includes ALL the separate points made: the first 8 points were made multiple times.
- Space - size as well as number of rooms, and adequate storage for equipment. (Our children needs LOTS more space, to encourage independence, manage behaviour as well as storage)
- Not an open-plan kitchen/living area. Separate kitchen, with adequate ventilation/window
- Includes larger bathroom/bath, and sep bath/toilet - more than one toilet for families
- An additional bedroom so same-sex or young sibling doesn't need to share & be disturbed
- Location - no stigma, no gangs, proximity to schools, parks/green spaces, and services and community facilities
- Adequate safety measures - gas, decent doors, fire safety features, more than one possible exit in a tower block
- Not tower blocks - safety issues and lack of community - houses with gardens please!
- Or at least a lift if it is a block!
- Good lighting both inside and out
- Adaptations easily available if needed
- Cleanliness, good rubbish clearance and facilities.
- Level access
- Central heating
- Parking
- Energy efficient
- Mixer taps (reduces scald risk)
- Property that meets individual needs
- Advice for leaseholders and others with no access to social housing.
- Easily accessed advice so we can understand different housing providers and the implications of Housing Associations versus Hackney Council.
- More understanding neighbours!
Action points
- John to feed back to Planning all the above points
- John to advise HFT on most effective mechanism for achieving parental input to housing strategy and housing development
4. Heather Scott - Occupational Therapist
Heather explained the role and function of Occupational Therapy services in general and with regard to the social services role. Described that there are 2 parts to the OT social services service:
1. The home environment service (for children with physical difficulties and functional need)
2. The safe environment service - for children with complex communication and behaviour difficulties, where there are safety issues that cannot be solved by age appropriate behaviour / safety approaches.
The OTs can advise on equipment and adaptations in the home based on the child's functional and safety needs as well as manual handling risks. OT may write detailed reports for Housing if adaptations are not practicable. They are unable to recommend a specific property type, but they can state specifically what the child's needs are
Q How successful is OT recommendation on re-housing?
A Can't give figures but it seems quite successful, we do call the special needs housing back where there are issues that need following up
Q Is service just for physical disability?
A No, the home environment function is based on physical need but the safe environment is for children with complex behaviour and communication issues, many whom have autism and learning difficulties .
Q How much influence do you have on the council in discussing who can be rehoused?
A The OT makes a referral to the Special Needs Housing dept, not to general housing. They then look at the child's needs and whether this affects the child's priority banding.
Q What's the process for funding adaptation?
A There are different processes depending on the ownership and the OT would go through these with the family. The Disabled Person's Facilities Grant can fund adaptations for owned properties as well as privately rented, or Housing Association properties, if the landlord / HA wont fund them. If it is council-owned property then OT would apply directly to the council and you don't need a DFG.
Regarding the DFG you can either go through the process e.g. finding quotes for the adaptations directly or use an organisation called Anchor to help you apply for this. If you use Anchor, they charge a percentage of the DFG for their help. This process is quite complex and the OT would go through this with the family.
Q How cans a family access the OT service?
A You can ask for a referral from health services or you can refer yourself. OT also runs some drop-in sessions for under-fives if your child has functional difficulties e.g. with dressing, play skills, feeding.
Heather circulated a sheet containing these details to all parents at the meeting.
Action point
- HFT to circulate Heather's very useful and comprehensive information sheet to everyone on HFT mailing list
5. Mike Logan & Martin Devine- London Fire Brigade
Mike talked about fire safety in the home and made a number of points
He informed the meeting of the rapidity with which a fire in one room can spread - from smouldering to inferno in 4 minutes. He then asked the meeting who has a smoke alarm at home? Very few did! He stressed that smoke inhalation kills more people than flames and contrary to common belief if fire breaks out at night the smoke will not wake you - it will ensure that you don't wake at all!
In Hackney there have been 1400 fires and 4 deaths in the past couple of years. The role of the Community Fire Safety Team is to reduce the risk of fire and increase people's awareness. Most fires are the direct result of people's lifestyles and habits, all of which can be altered. E.g.
- Cigarettes not properly extinguished
- Cooking
- Using portable heaters
- "dodgy" electrics, including overloading sockets.
There was also advice on what to do if fire breaks out/smoke alarm goes off at night - better to close door, lean out of window and shout "fire!", rather than stumble around in dark and smoke. If the door is closed, test temp of door with back of hand - do not open door and let fresh oxygen feed the fire. A closed door will protect for up to 30 minutes.
Other advice was primarily common sense: e.g.
- not leaving children in the kitchen when something is cooking
- keeping matches out of reach of children,
- extinguishing cigarettes by using an ashtray and pouring water in it (a cigarette tip burns at 1000ยบ F)
- always using a proper candle-holder, including with tea-lights, and not placing candles near curtains or balancing on top of the TV (!)
Q What about the face masks that are advertised on the internet - should I get one in case of fire?
A Don't know about these - it's not Fire Service advice and might tempt you to try to escape instead of waiting for rescue.
Q What about fire extinguishers? We see firemen using water hoses for fires on TV
A Don't believe everything you see on TV or the internet! We also use foam when appropriate. Be wary of using home extinguishers in case you use them for the wrong purpose. If you have equipment make sure you know how to use it appropriately.
Q Do you advise people to have fire blankets?
A It's required for commercial premises or in some domestic settings (for example, Childminders are legally obliged to have them). Experience suggests that it's one thing to give out equipment & advice, but in reality people often don't use correctly.
Ultimately the best strategy is prevention in the first place, provision of a smoke alarm and, if there ever is a fire, call 999 and evacuate the building (or keep yourself safe in a closed room) rather than try to extinguish the fire yourself.
The Community Safety team will do home visits to advise on fire and fit smoke alarms for free. Mike and Martin handed round postcards, which anyone can use to request one of these home visits.
Action points
- HFT to obtain more request cards for the free home visit & smoke alarm and send to all HFT members: additional cards to be kept in Resource Centre
6. Grapevine slot
There is a special needs housing advice drop-in session every Thursday at the Ann Tayler Centre, from 10 - 12.
HFBU never make direct appeals to the public for funding. If you receive an e-mail requesting
financial assistance that you think might be from us please contact us immediately.