Issue - meetings

The report seeks approval of the West Sussex Disabled Facilities Grants Policy which has been developed in Partnership with West Sussex County Council and all the West Sussex District and Borough Councils to utilise the Better Care Funding more flexibly, improve consistency and enable residents to live more independently within their own home.

The Cabinet

RESOLVED – That

1. the Disabled Facilities Grant Policy, as appended to the report, be adopted; and

2. authority be delegated to the Group Head of Technical Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Technical Services, to make any future amendments and updates to the Policy.

The Cabinet Member for Technical Services, Councillor Stanley, introduced this item and outlined that the Council had long provided grants for eligible works to adapt private sector homes to allow residents to live more independently. In recent years this Council had been working with West Sussex County Council and all the other District and Borough Councils in West Sussex to find new and innovative ways of helping more people to live independently and safely in their own homes and to do so consistently across the County.  The revised Policy before Members was the culmination of that work.

            The Group Head for Technical Services was then invited to present the detail of the report and he outlined that the revised Policy that Members were being asked to approve was a result of two years of working in partnership with other Councils to produce a Policy that could be applied across the whole County  area  with the aim to improve consistency for residents to help them live safely and independently for as long as possible in their own homes and to reduce the time it took to do this.  Specific examples provided were that the Policy included features which speeded up the process for residents; helped people to leave hospital more quickly and safely; provided help in cases of hardship; assisted residents to move home to better meet their needs and enabled help to be given to make homes safer, warmer and more suitable.  It also reflected the needs of people with dementia and those who were at the end of life.

            The Group Head of Technical Services outlined that all Councils across West Sussex were all in the process of seeking approval from Members for the new Policy to be adopted so that it could be fully implemented from January 2020.  A multi-agency Disabled Facilities Grant Project Steering Group, chaired by Chichester District Council’s Chief Executive, would continue to lead and steer the project and would then monitor the impact of the Policy. 

In debating this item, it was acknowledged that more and more elderly people needed support to remain independent in their own homes and so this Policy was essential in continuing to make this possible.

            The Cabinet

                        RESOLVED – That

(1)  The Disabled Facilities Grant Policy attached to the report be adopted; and

(2)  Authority be given to the Group Head of Technical Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Technical Services to make any future amendments and updated to the Policy.

The Cabinet confirmed its decision as per Decision Notice C/024/091219, a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of the Minutes.

(During the course of the discussion on this item, Councillor Dr Walsh declared a Personal Interest as a Member of West Sussex County Council and also as Vice-Chairman of West Sussex County Council’s Health and Adult Social Services Committee (HASC).