Helping turn the house you love into the home you need

Are steps making it difficult to get in and out of your own home? Can’t get in and out of the bath on your own? Do you struggle to go up and down stairs? If you have difficulty with everyday tasks Care and Repair Newcastle are here to help.

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We use a customer focused approach to support disabled and older people to live independently. The Care and Repair Newcastle team will support you through the process by:

• Making sure our team are fully trained and follow all our processes correctly

• Helping you to navigate the eligibility criteria, fill out forms and find trustworthy contractors to do the work for you

• Keeping you informed at every stage of the process

• Ensuring you are satisfied with the service you receive

• Working to achieve value for money so we can help as many people as possible within a limited budget

If you or a friend, family member, patient or tenant is struggling to live at home read on to find out more about how Care and Repair Newcastle could help.

Who we areCare and Repair Newcastle is the way Newcastle City Council delivers its Disabled Facilities Grants. Care and Repair Newcastle operates as a not for profit Home Improvement Agency (HIA). We provide a range of adaptations to help disabled and older people to live in their own home safely and with dignity.

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What we doCare and Repair Newcastle provides stair lifts and hoists free of charge without the need for a financial assessment. We also fund some or all of the major improvements you need to improve access around your home. Our maximum grant is £30,000 which can be used for things such as wider doors, ramps, or accessible bathing and toilet facilities to meet your essential needs.

Grants are means tested which, depending on your income, means you may need to pay towards the cost of the work. As part of the application process we will ask questions about your finances.

How we helpWe know asking for support can be a little daunting so our dedicated staff will help you through every stage of the application process.

AssessmentThese are the steps to find out what support you need:

• You should contact or be referred to Community Health and Social Care Direct

• An Occupational Therapy Team Manager decides if an assessment is needed

• An assessment is carried out in your home to consider what support you need

Someone from the Occupational Therapy Team will come to your home to discuss your concerns and assess your needs. If they decide you need a major adaptation they will award you priority or routine status and refer you to Care and Repair Newcastle for the works to be carried out.

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ReferralOnce the assessment is complete we will: • Tell you the outcome

• Agree the support you need

• Let you know if your needs are priority or routine

• Tell Care and Repair Newcastle what support you need

• Let you know the expected timescales for your application and delivery

Priority Status will be awarded if:• You have urgent personal hygiene and

toileting requirements

• There are serious moving and handling issues

• There is a serious risk to you or your carer

• If you have a life threatening illness or rapidly degenerating condition

• Other social issues will be affected if we don’t make an adaptation. For example if you need a ramp to access essential day care

• If your need for an adaptation is compounded by other social factors

Routine Status will be awarded when:• An adaptation is necessary and appropriate

for your needs

• It is not considered to be a priority need

We process priority applications in the order we receive them. Routine applications are processed after all priority applications are complete.

If you feel your condition has deteriorated while you are waiting for your case to be dealt with you should contact the Occupational Therapy Team to discuss your concerns.

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ApplicationWhen we receive your referral Care and Repair Newcastle will: • Process referrals in the order we receive

them

• Tell you who your Home Improvement Officer is once they are identified

• Help you complete the application forms

• Carry out a means test – you will need to tell us about household income including salaries, benefits, pensions, and savings and investments

• Complete home ownership checks

• Decide if the adaptation is necessary, appropriate, reasonable and practical

• Let you know if your application has been approved

• Appoint a contractor for you to carry out all the work needed (you can choose your own if you prefer)

DeliveryThis is when the approved work will be arranged and carried out. Once the work is finished we will check and approve it before paying the grant to the contractor.

Palliative CareIf you are receiving palliative care and need adaptations we will carry out the assessment as soon as possible. We will do our best to provide essential adaptations or equipment as long as the installation process won’t have a negative impact on your quality of life. In cases of urgent need we may forgo a means test and provide adaptations on a loan basis to meet your needs quickly. You will be asked to let Care and Repair Newcastle know when the adaptation is no longer required so we can arrange to remove it.

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Housing optionsIf it isn’t reasonable, practical or appropriate to make adaptations the Occupational Therapy Team will discuss housing options with you. We will talk to you about housing options if: • Your home can’t be physically adapted to meet

your essential long term needs and temporary solutions aren’t suitable

• The cost of adaptations is likely to be more than the maximum available grant

• You will need more adaptations in the longer term

• You have a need that can’t be met with adaptations

• Your prognosis is terminal and palliative care is more appropriate

• You don’t have a significant support network in the local area

• The home owner has not agreed to the adaptations

We won’t talk to you about housing options if:• You need one or two adaptations costing less

than £5,000

• You told us at the outset that you wanted to remain in the area

• Your prognosis is good and can be met with minimal adaptations

• You are unlikely to need more adaptations

• You have a significant support network in the local area

• The home owner has agreed to the adaptations

This list is not exhaustive and the needs of everyone who applies for support from Care and Repair Newcastle will be considered individually.

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Where can I find out more? For more information on how Care and Repair Newcastle can help you live safely and independently in your own home you can contact us by: Phone: 0191 2115836

Email: careandrepairnewcastle@newcastle.gov.uk

Visiting our website: www.careandrepairnewcastle.co.uk

Writing to us at: Care and Repair Newcastle Fairer Housing Unit Newcastle City Council Floor 9 Civic Centre Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8QN

Where do I go for help?If you need help to live independently the first place to go is the My Equipment Newcastle website at www.myequipmentnewcastle.org.uk where you can assess your needs, access equipment and get advice on the help available.

If My Equipment Newcastle can’t provide the support you need then please contact Community Health and Social Care Direct to ask for a personal assessment.

Phone: 0191 2788377

Text phone: 0191 2788359

Email: scd@newcastle.gov.uk

www.careandrepairnewcastle.co.uk

Helping turn the house you love into the home you need