The housing adaptations team at Brighton and Hove City Council has been shortlisted for a national award.
The team’s “Bath Out” scheme is in the running for the Achievement of the Year category at the National Healthy Housing Awards 2024.
The council said: “The nomination recognises the outstanding work the housing adaptations service did on their ‘Bath Out’ scheme which fast-tracked straightforward accessible bathroom adaptations, reducing waiting times for residents.
“The National Healthy Housing Awards celebrate innovative practices, exceptional service delivery and the excellent work of individuals carried out every day to help people live comfortably in their homes.
“The Bath Out scheme provides level access shower adaptations to council tenants who need them, with the aim to cut waiting times and number of people waiting for an assessment.
“The pilot scheme was introduced in April 2023 and has since then been successfully rolled out to standard practice.
“The scheme removes the need for an occupational therapist (OT) assessment for clients requiring bathroom adaptations.
“Instead, the referrals are screened by an OT and suitable candidates are passed for allocation direct to a home improvement officer whenever appropriate.
“This allows OT services to focus on more complex cases as well as develops the skill levels and confidence of home improvement officers.
“As a result, waiting times reduced significantly, from eight months to three and a half months, with the aim to reduce the waiting time to four weeks by spring.
“The amount of people on the waiting list for a housing adaptations assessment reduced by 45 per cent.
“The prompt provision of accessible shower adaptation also helps decrease demand on NHS services by allowing tenants to improve their independence and reducing risk of falls.”
Councillor Gill Williams, the council’s cabinet member for housing and new homes, said: “Congratulations to our housing adaptations service for their shortlisting for the National Healthy Housing Award and the impressive outcomes of their Bath Out scheme.
“Bath Out is a fantastic initiative allowing us to significantly cut waiting times in delivering much-needed level access bathrooms.”
Councillor Williams said that these gave tenants a sense of independence, safety and confidence tenants in their homes.
She added: “I am very proud of the exceptional work our housing adaptations officers do in changing the lives of older, vulnerable and disabled people every day.”
Wet rooms can make such a difference to people in a practical way.
It’s nice to read about streamlining to make it easier and quicker to implement for people. Definitely a positive example for other aspects to emulate.