Agenda item

Report of Director of Service Delivery.

Cabinet lead member:  Councillor Alan Shuttleworth.

(1) Changes to existing private housing policy and use of disabled facilities grant funding approved:

(2) Director of service delivery granted delegated authority to take any and all steps necessary for, and incidental to, the implementation and management of the changes approved above.

58.1 Councillor Freebody addressed the cabinet welcoming the extra grant funding and highlighting the benefit of helping people to remain in their own homes.

58.2 Cabinet considered the report of the director of service delivery proposing changes to the council’s approach to funding disabled facilities and adaptions in the light of recent government changes to the funding arrangements and an increase in the monies made available.  Nationally funding was set to double in the period 2015 to 2020.  In Eastbourne this increased the disabled facilities grant (DFG) budget from £769,450 in 2015/16 to £1.2 million in 2016/17 with expectations that this level of funding would, at a minimum, be maintained for the next 3 years.  Since the increase in DFG budget the demand for the existing service had not increased and with the removal of ring fencing there was a greater opportunity to make best use of surpluses within the fund by ‘top-slicing’ an amount to use at the council’s discretion, supporting innovative projects in the town to improve the lives of our disabled residents. 

58.3 To supplement the existing programme of ‘mandatory’ DFGs it was proposed to establish a discretionary fund in partnership with the East Sussex Better Together programme (a joint initiative between East Sussex County Council and the clinical commissioning groups to transform health and social care services in East Sussex over the next 3 years with a combined budget of £850m.). Funding of £600,000 from the DFG budget for this discretionary fund was proposed, made up as follows:-

·         Fast track minor adaptions - £100,000.

·         Discretionary grant for new developments and home relocation - £250,000.

·         Discretionary grant for capital improvements of existing care facilities - £200,000.

·         Project co-ordinator support - £50,000 incl. on costs. 

Should any project exceed or be below expected demand, funding would be reallocated in the programme up to the £600,000 limit.

58.4 Aims included reducing delays in hospital discharge arrangements by allowing fast tracking the provision of such items as stair-lifts and specialist toilets; help in moving home when it was not reasonable or practicable to adapt the existing home to fully meet a person’s needs; allowing for disabled needs to be met by developers when building new homes; and assistance to care home owners to convert a proportion of their homes into a space that could facilitate nursing care.

58.5 The amount needed to cover the council’s requirement to deliver ‘mandatory’ DFG’s was forecast to be £600,000 for 2016/17 based on previous years demand.  It was considered that was enough DFG funding left to cover the cost of this project in 2016/17 and 2017/18.  However, should there be a change in funding from central government the project would be reviewed.

58.6 Resolved (key decision): (1) That the following changes to the existing private housing policy and use of disabled facilities grant funding be approved:

·         Introduction of a discretionary grant element which will allow the introduction of a fast track adaptations approach in line with best practice from the National Audit Office, DCLG and Department of Health (DOH).

·         Enhanced delivery of adaptions in the development of new housing, housing investment and care facilities in the town.

(2) That the director of service delivery be granted delegated authority to take any and all steps necessary for, and incidental to, the implementation and management of the changes approved above.