Sam Jones and Tony Johnson from Yorkshire Housing presented on their organization's good practices around home adaptations. They discussed their design process including future-proofing and collaborating with health professionals. They highlighted moving from permanent to modular ramp systems for faster installation. Yorkshire Housing also utilizes technology like paperless applications and a internal messaging system. They standardized their service delivery, pre-agreed contribution levels, and established a central referral point. The presentation covered prevention services working with medical professionals and a paid service for clients who do not qualify for grants. Other ideas discussed included discretionary funding and direct applications to private occupational therapists.

1. DFG Champions Roadshow
Good practice
Presented by
Sam Jones and Tony Johnson
Yorkshire Housing

2. Outline of what we will cover
• Quick introduction into Yorkshire Housing
• Good practice areas
– Design process
– Technology
– Internal lessons
– Links with health
• Other areas and ideas

3. A little about us and Yorkshire
Housing…
• Sam Has been Operations and HIA Manager
• Tony Has been Technical officer, Team leader and HIA Manager
• Yorkshire Housing has over 18,000 homes
throughout Yorkshire
– Money and Benefits
– Care and Support
– Community Engagement
– Home Improvement Agencies

4. The Yorkshire Housing HIA network
Swale, Selby and York
Sam Jones

5. The Yorkshire Housing HIA network
Harrogate, Craven and
Internal adaptations
Tony Johnson
Swale, Selby and York
Sam Jones

6. The Yorkshire Housing HIA network
Harrogate, Craven and
Internal adaptations
Tony Johnson
Swale, Selby and York
Sam Jones
Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley
Layla Gorman

7. The Yorkshire Housing HIA network
• We operate under 42 separate contracts
• 40 FTE members of staff
• 15,607 enquiries last year
• Delivered £1,183,921 of work last year

8. Good practice ideas
Traditional service delivery
Vs
Streamlined delivery
Vs
?
Service delivery models

9. Design process
• Design considerations
– Future proofing where possible
– Opportunities at design stage
– Joint meetings with Health professionals
• Internal architectural work
• Casework reviews / learning

10. Design process
• Move from brick and concrete ramps to
semi permanent modular systems

11. Design process
• Move from brick and concrete ramps to
semi permanent modular systems

12. Design process
• Move from brick and concrete ramps to
semi permanent modular systems
– Speed of installation
• Typically ½ day vs. week/s
– Cost
• Typically 50% saving
– Recycling
• Life cycle costs are significantly reduced

13. Technology
• Piloting paperless applications
• Paperless approvals
• Remote working and reactive work
• Internal “Yammer” to share good practice

14. Technology
• Turning data into information

15. Technology
• Secure on-line referral systems
• Social media to promote our services and
especially accessing our services
• Also way to communicate to our clients
terms and products

16. Technology

17. Internal changes
• Was delivered locally through
maintenance teams
– Lack of a consistent service and varied
knowledge
• Biggest saving and one of the hardest to
achieve is re-letting adapted properties to
suitable incoming tenants
•

18. Internal changes
• Pre agreed contribution levels ensuring
applications don’t get delayed
• Pre agreed schedule of rates
• Central point of referral
• Agreements to deliver certain types of
work with out delay

19. Links with health - prevention
• Lead work formulating a prevention service
– Reactive to GP and visiting medical persons
requests to people who’s condition was
progressing
– Attending MDT and being reactive to emerging
requirements
• Involved with development of a Falls
Assessment tool in another area again
aimed at prevention

20. HandyTec
• Clients who fall outside the grant regime
who where still very vulnerable and fit the
core HIA client profile
• To support these people we developed our
paid for HandyTec service to deliver both
minor and major works

21. Other ideas and sources of
good practice
• Foundations website case studies
• Concept of funding the first £x of a
client contribution
• Using RRO flexibilities to offer
– Discretionary items of work
– Fast track grants
– Non-means testing up to a set limit

22. Other ideas and sources of
good practice
• No means testing for palliative work
• Frame work agreements
• Single points of contact (SPOC)
• Direct applications and using private
Occupational Therapists

23. Publications

24. Thank you
Any questions?
samantha.jones@yorkshirehousing.co.uk
tony.johnson@yorkshirehousing.co.uk