The Home Improvement Agency
We can offer financial advice, surveying experience and supervision of approved contractors, and you do not have to qualify for a grant to use our services. The Agency can help with -
Download a leaflet about our services in Adobe's pdf format
There are Home Improvement Agencies throughout the UK. For more information, please visit the Foundations website. If you want to find out about the Agency in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, please visit the Richmond Council website at www.richmond.gov.uk
The Agency also works with Occupational Therapists to provide both minor and major adaptations for:
The Agency will support home owners and tenants of housing associations and private landlords through the process of financing and completing building work by:
The Agency only charges a fee when they instruct or supervise contractors or sometimes when they prepare detailed specifications if you are not eligible for a grant. This fee, which will vary according to the complexity and cost of the scheme, may be included in a grant or loan, if you are eligible.
Finding money to pay for work There are some grants available from the Council and the Government to bring homes up to the Decent Homes standard or to adapt them, the latest information is available by clicking here. The Agency can help you work out what you might be able to claim. We can also helps you improve your income by ensuring that you have applied for all the benefits or allowances, which you are entitled to claim. Although we do not provide an independent financial service, we have developed a link with the Home Improvement Trust, which is a not for profit organisation that can help homeowners access loans from £3000 upwards for building work. They also provide financial advice about the effects of taking out the loan. If you are a homeowner over 60 years of age or a homeowner of any age who is disabled or has a disabled person living with them, you may be eligible for the Home Improvement Trust's Houseproud scheme. A variety of loans is available through the scheme with various repayment options, and they are tailored to meet the needs of older or disabled people. Some of the loans have a no repossession clause. If you are thinking about borrowing money we would recommend that you talk to your own bank or building society and consider taking independent financial advice before making a commitment. However, if you do decide to go ahead with Houseproud the Agency can help you complete their forms, then instruct and supervise contractors for you.
Finding other services We have a good knowledge of other services available through the Council or the voluntary and charitable sectors and we have developed links with many of them. These are some of the services:
Contact us By telephone: 020 8871 6940 By post: Wandsworth Home Improvement Agency
Wandsworth Council
Other organisations and services
Home Improvement Agency Glossary Home Owner - a home owner may be a leaseholder or freeholder or have an equity share in their home. Household with a disabled person - households may own their home or rent it from the Council, a Housing Association or private landlord. The disabled person may be a partner or family member, whose main home is with you. Decent Homes - this is a standard for housing set by the Government. In order to be decent a home should be warm, weatherproof and have reasonably modern facilities. Occupational Therapist - the Occupational Therapy staff will assess your ability to carry out everyday tasks. This will include areas such as;
Minor Adaptations - These are smaller jobs that help with movement around your home or access to facilities like baths. Typical works are installing grab rails, bath lifts, handrails and door entry systems. The work is recommended by an Occupational Therapist. Major Adaptations - these are extensive schemes that could include installing ramps, stairlifts or steplifts, widening doorways, remodelling kitchens or bathrooms or changing baths to level access showers. Specification - this is a list of the work to be carried out in your home, it may include a drawing to show how the work will change your home. Quote - this is a price for carrying out the work to your home. It may come from our Schedule of Rates or it may have been tendered to our approved contractors. Approved Contractors - we check the quality of work, insurance, financial standing and reliability of our builders and installers before they start working with us. We also check their work to make sure they continue to meet our standards. Sheltered Housing - Sheltered housing schemes are blocks or groups of flats, which are specially designed, built or adapted to enable older people to live independently with the privacy of their own front door and the added security of an alarm service and Sheltered Housing Officer or Warden for help and support. Some schemes have a community room where residents can socialise and organise events. Sheltered housing may be provided by local authorities, housing associations or private companies; some are rented and others are bought leasehold or freehold. |
The Home Improvement Agency
Making homes decent and adapting homes for people with disabilities