Wolverhampton Homes, an arms-length management organization, oversees public sector housing adaptations in Wolverhampton, managing over 20,000 properties and an annual budget of £1 million. The team handles various adaptations, including major and minor public and private sector works, with a streamlined process for council tenants that ensures full service and support, unlike the limited assistance for private clients. Additionally, the organization focuses on effectively re-letting adapted stock and customizing new builds to accommodate mobility issues while addressing funding issues with Registered Social Landlords (RSLs).

1. PUBLIC SECTOR ADAPTATIONS
WOLVERHAMPTON HOMES / CITY OF
WOLVERHAMPTON COUNCIL
SUE BELL
ADAPTATIONS MANAGER

2. WOLVERHAMPTON HOMES
• Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO)
• Company wholly owned by City of
Wolverhampton Council
• Responsible for public sector housing stock in
Wolverhampton
• ALMO established in 2005
• One of the first ALMO’s to receive the 3 star
rating from Audit Commission – 2010
• Manage just over 20000 properties

3. ADAPTATIONS
THE TEAM
• TEAM MANAGER (ME!)
• 4 X TECHNICAL OFFICERS
• 1 x TECHNICIAN
• 2 X ADMIN ASSISTANTS
Delivering all public and private sector adaptations across the
City of Wolverhampton
• Administration of DFG
• Discretionary adaptation grants under RRO
• Public sector major adaptations
• Some public and private sector minor adaptations

4. WOLVERHAMPTON HOMES
• Direct labour to carry out adaptations to own stock
• Also carry out private sector minor adaptations
• 20 operatives
• Majority are trusted assessors
• 5 teams installing level access showers
• 2 property supervisors
• Recently Trustmark accreditation and have started to carry
out DFG work when chosen by client

5. BUDGET
• Annual budget - £1 million for WH tenants
• Finances all major and minor adaptations for WH tenants
• Separate and additional to DFG budget
• Funded by HRA capital programme
• Equivalent of £50 per household for WH – comparison for
private households - £37 per household

6. HOW DO WE MANAGE ALL THIS!
• All team carry a mixed caseload of public/private
adaptations
• Timescales at the start of the process are the same i.e.
the wait for a technical inspection.
• Processes diverge, with DFG clients left very much on
their own with limited assistance, WH tenants get a full
service:-
• No application forms
• No means testing
• All prices obtained by TO
• Work organised and supervised for tenant

7. CONTRACTORS
• Generally the pool of contractors available for adaptation
work is the same across both sectors
• For most non-specialised work in WH properties WH will
carry out building work with their own direct labour
• Exception would be new build extension where they would
have to sub-contract the work and therefore don’t tend to
price for these
• WH carry out DFG work if chosen by client (they are on
Trustmark list of suggested builders) and they carry out all
private sector minor (under £1000) adaptations.

8. PROCESSES
• Tenancy checks prior to commencing process:-
• Are they the registered tenant/family member?
• Any arrears?
• Any application to move?
• Any repair issues that may impact adaptation?
• Minor adaptations & level access showers – process carried
out by WH team – our role is checking and budget control
• Stairlifts and ramps:-
• Light touch
• Stairlift contract
• Modular ramps

9. MAJOR ADAPTATIONS
• Technical officer allocated
• Work closely with OT
• Manage all aspects – schedule/spec/tender/supervision/CDM
• New build – will engage an external architect for plans etc.

10. ISSUES
• TECHNICAL STAFFING – WH work more time consuming as
responsible for whole process.
• EXTENSIONS VERY TIME CONSUMING – tenants may wait
longer due to technical capacity
• Juggling development time against actual work – chicken & egg!
• Not having contracts in place e.g. through floor lifts/modular
ramps – both awaiting procurement
• Current waiting list for WH major adaptations - 14

11. DEVELOPMENTS
• E- tendering
• Sharing resources and support within WH
• Business efficiency work

12. ADAPTATIONS PANEL
• WH tenants where adaptations required costing over £15000 or where
property under-occupied by 2 or more bedrooms (or would be if extension
is requested)
• All such cases have to be considered by panel
• Team Lead OT/ Adaptation Team Manager/ WH Vulnerabilities
Officer/WH Principal Lettings Manager
• Consider rehousing instead of adapting – priority to move/incentive
scheme/assisted bidding/help with moving
• Appeal process
• Liaison with stock investment team over potential adaptations to non-
traditional stock (recent introduction following move to WH)

13. REUSE OF ADAPTED HOUSING STOCK
• Robust process in place for re-letting adapted stock,
• Overseen by special needs housing team
• Includes RSL properties
• April 17 – Sept 17 100 adapted properties available for relet,
94 let to those needing adaptations
• Most properties relet have a stairlift and/or level access
shower
• Team give advice and assistance in bidding for properties
and liaise with OT to identify if properties suitable/matching
properties to tenants

14. OTHER INITIATIVES
• Use of adaptations budget in new build WH stock
• 2 bungalow developments specified for mobility issues,
including level access shower
• Tenants identified at early stage
• Use of adaptations budget to customise by builder before
tenant moves in , e.g. clos-o-mat, adapted kitchen

15. ADAPTATIONS FOR RSL TENANTS
• In Wolverhampton almost 100% financed by DFG
• Before making recommendation OT will write to RSL
asking if they can fund adaptations – most don’t!
• In 16/17 16% of DFG’S were for RSL tenants but this
was only approx. 3% of budget
• Anchor used to make a 20% contribution but quite
long-winded to get it, other RSL haven't contributed.

16. ISSUES WITH RSL
• Maintenance of items like clos-o-mats – some RSL reluctant
to take on maintenance
• What if client has a contribution – should the RSL pay?
• Tried to get RSL to carry out DFG funded works in their own
properties – not very successful !
SUCCESS!
Joint funding of a large (over £30K) extension. RSL made a
contribution as well as CCG

17. THANK YOU!