Agenda item

SG offered to answer questions/queries from the Forum.

NA suggested that his current understanding is that an application is shared with NPH and NBC (Northampton Partnership Homes and Northampton Borough Council). Are we asking for private sector budget? SG answered yes.

NA went on to say that the actual spend last year was 39% of the budget. Have figures until end of November and there still is a large percentage that has not been spent. NA questioned why money wasn’t being spent.

EK: We manage our own budgets and we have spent more than that. We look at monthly spend. We are on good target to spend £1.4 million. The organisation is trying to promote service so people have access to this fund.

NA: You say that you are on target to spend £1.4 million but the budget is meant to be £1.8 million? NA questioned this point.

EK stated that this will be looked into.

CL: The Forum would like to know who made the decision.

CW: What would happen if there is an underspend?

CL: The fund is transferred into other funds. It will not be added onto the next year.

NA: Where do the funds go?

EK: This is for NBC use.

BM: Accept that this dept is from the private sector and this needs to be discussed with Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH). BM explained that she lives in a small two bedroom house and have a staircase. BM was rejected by the DFG and was asked to move to another location. However, BM does not wish to leave Kingsley. The Minister for Housing is pushing forward a Bill where new council tenancy will have to be signed. BM will not do that - instead will ask NBC for a new bathroom.

Most disabled people will not move if their homes are not fit for purpose.

EK: Will look at this differently to make it a better service.

CL: ACTION: Situation for tenancy to be an item for the next agenda

CW: What happens if a person has adaptations made to a house and is then relocated?

SG: This will depend if you are tenant. If you are an owner occupier, the condition is attached to the grant. If you move within 10 years part of the grant will be repayable. The reasons for relocating will be reviewed. For eg – if person goes into care, there is an option to waive repayment.

CW: what is the situation if the person is elderly?

The occupational therapist (OT) will look at the immediate needs and can adapt the proposal. If the adaptations are carried out and the person passes away, this will be looked on into.

NA: The status for the private sector is that as long as the landlord lets the person rent for three years, the tenant is eligible for a grant. Where there is a situation where the tenant has died, the adaptations needs to be taken out and used elsewhere.

EK: There is no policy to put a charge on property to recoup any money to claim back a grant.

BM: How many OTs in the private sector? Think there are 7 under Olympus Care. This is not a large amount. There are also Tech Inspections (TIs) to look at standard needs.

CL: What is the turnaround process for OT? Is there a Performance Indicator (PI) for this?

EK: Unsure about the PIs. The therapists set their own. The turnaround is 9-12 weeks depending on the case.

CL: This is still a long time. Is it possible to have a contract with Olympus Care (OC) and bring it down to 5 weeks?

EK: This is up to the County Council.

CL: NBC is the user of the service. Therefore the contract should be on our terms. A tighter period is needed.

EK: We are not a party to this.

SG: We are talking to OC to have OTs to be based in the Guildhall to help make the process quicker. We would like the OTs to be in-house.

NA: The system is blocked at the OT stage. All councils have the same problem.