Minor Works and Low Level Equipment

Occupational Therapists, Assessment and Support Co-ordinators and anyone who has completed a Trusted Assessors course, including the AAT can arrange minor works. In addition, the service is available to health colleagues to assist with hospital discharges and those based in the community to avoid hospital admissions under the prevention agenda. 

Minor works and low-level adaptations are advertised on the council’s website and via the 2 Independent Living Centres at Greenwood Centre, Dorchester and The Hanham centre, Wimborne.

The Service Provider also advertises the service via their website and at the point of contact with our Adult Services Contact centre, the Adult Access Team (AAT).

If an individual contacts Adult Access team, they are assessed to see if a minor adaptation or low-level equipment could assist them to remain independent in their own home at that point to avoid the need to refer to the main area teams. If the issues can be resolved at that point the AAT teams will refer to the relevant Service Provider depending on need.

There is no charge for minor works from our Home Improvement Agency Service Provider under the title “Dorset Accessible Homes Service”.

Dorset has recently introduced a higher level of minor works (up to £1500) to allow residents to have minor adaptations such as large external ramps, half steps and handrailing systems without the need to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant due to increase costs of materials and labour. 

For those individuals that just need a grabrail, and/or second banister rail and other low level equipment such as raised toilet seats, commodes, bath aids etc these are available through the Integrated Community Equipment Service Provider, titled “Equip For Living” for residents of Dorset Council but managed through BCP council.

Minor works and low-level equipment can be installed into the residents own home, rented or supported living unit as long as this is their main residence. On occasion if an individual is placed temporarily into a residential or nursing home from hospital with the main aim to return the person to their own home if a piece of equipment is needed to support them to rehabilitate and if this is to go home with them a loan of equipment into the care home for up to 6 weeks is permissible.

Any member of the Adult Social Care service, including Occupational Therapists can refer to our Service Provider for a minor adaptation through their online portal and include any necessary measurements /photographs of the issues that need resolving.

Access is limited to those who have been trained and who have a pin to securely access the website. The same applies for the Equip for Living Contract for low level equipment, as both have a catalogue and online ordering process.

Once an order has been placed on the online system by a member of staff (known as a prescriber) an email confirmation will be sent securely to the prescriber from the Service Providers online portal. The prescriber, as well as noting their assessment on the ASC data base Mosaic, will need to save the email confirmation of the order raised into the documents section of Mosaic.

Once the Service Provider has completed the necessary minor adaptation or equipment delivery the prescriber will receive a formal email notification that the works are completed.

It is the prescriber’s responsibility to contact the individual to check that the works were carried out satisfactorily and that the service provided has assisted them to remain in their own home, be more independent or if they have a carer, that it has assisted them to manage to care for longer and reduced the strain on the person.

The prescriber should carry out a review after 6 weeks and if an Occupational Therapy Assessment was completed, they should use the OT Review form to assess the “impact” of the service. These documents should be saved on Mosaic and any relevant case notes recorded.

Should the person no longer require the equipment, as they have either improved or their care needs increase, they will need to contact the social care team who will check out the circumstances with the person before arranging collection.

If their needs have increased, they may require a further assessment, and this can be arranged if an Occupational Therapist is required.

However, if the person has passed away once we have been notified by either a family member/care provider/ or the “Tell Us Once” service, then the Case Support Worker within the local team can go back onto the providers website and arrange collection of any portable equipment.

We will not remove fixed handrails/grabrails etc as we do not make good any walls following removal. All temporary ramping /half steps and other low-level equipment can be arranged to be collected by the relevant Service Provider 

If the person moves house and further adaptations are required, they can request a further assessment. However, if they move house with low level equipment, they can take the equipment with them to the new property even if it is out of county but they must inform the Adult Social Care team and the Service Provider of the change of address. This is a new duty under the Care Act that local authorities cannot refuse the person the right to take any necessary equipment with them if they move out of county and should also share that latest Occupational Therapy assessment documentation and paperwork for support their move to another authority.