NCC Home Improvemetn Team presentation
                     Norwich City Council’s
Home Improvement Team
A caseworker led approach
Achievements 2018/19 
• 2018/19 Approved 48% more grants than previous year
• Increased spend of 78% - £1.3m
• Average turnaround time for DFG of 109 days from first point of contact to completion of 
grant including OT assessment
• Last 2 quarters averaged 98 days
• Consistently been making small improvements driving up performance times and number 
of grants being delivered without any increases to resource
• Have a good offer of additional assistance under RRO including:
• Discharge from Hospital Grant
• Preventing Admission to hospital grant
• Means test top up grant
• Additional DFG loan (up to £65k)
• Home Improvement loan
• Handyperson service
Background
•The Norwich City Council area covers an area of 
approximately 40.55 km2 with a population density of 
around 3,614 persons per km2. This compares to an 
England population density of 407 persons per km2 
(falls to 353 if London is excluded from the national 
figure). 
•2 tier authority (County Council and City Council)
Background
Background
• Had an arms length HIA delivered By Orbit Housing Association for many 14 years
• Contract due to expire in July 2013
• Members made the decision in February 2013 to bring the service back in-house 
(Contrary to officer recommendation)
• At the same time Norwich was due to adopt the Integrated Housing Adaptation Team 
(IHAT) model that had been trialled at other district councils within Norwich
• Capital budget of circa £1m per annum (but a history of underspend)
IHAT
• IHAT is a joint team based in lower tiers (district councils) delivering disabled adaptations.
• They comprise of district staff involved in DFGs
• And an Occupational Therapist and Assistant Practitioner (Or OT assistant)
• Supposed to remove barriers and fences caused from the geographical and 
organisational split between adult social care staff and housing staff
A new opportunity?
• It was agreed that the IHAT would be launched in Norwich on the same date that the 
Home improvement agency transferred in-house
• Short timescale to set up agency early February to July 1st 
• TUPE meant that a focus on available resources was paramount:
• 1 FTE Caseworker Team Leader
• 1.5 FTE Caseworkers
• 2 FTE Technical Officers
• 1 FTE Administration
• 1 FTE OT
• 1 FTE OTa
Caseworker Led approach
• Quickly identified that caseworker could be better used to the benefit of staff and 
customers
• Caseworkers triage all incoming referrals
• At triage a caseworker is appointed as a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for client
• Joint visit with OT arranged if necessary
• Caseworker draws on technical officers as required
Caseworker Led approach
•Contractor call off/pre works meeting held between client, contractor and caseworker (no 
technical staff)
•Everything goes through the caseworker
•Follow customer satisfaction sent after 3 months – any issues will be followed up by 
caseworker
Contractual Arrangements
Traditional DFG Model
HIA/District 
Council
Contract Administrator
Contractor Client
Contractual Arrangements
Norwich’s Model
Home 
Client Improvement Contractor
Team
Other use of resources
• Simple use batch printing with electronic signatures
• Paperless – Making best use of in-house systems
• Mobile working use of tablets
• Simplified application forms
• RRO policy considered great success, especially DFG top up grant
What are the benefits that we’ve 
seen?
• OT’s and TO’s time is freed up (there are no bottlenecks) 
• Timescales significantly increased 
• Significant increase in capacity (we’re currently providing well in excess of double the 
amount of grants than we were 5 years ago)
• Clients know who to speak to and are kept fully up to date with everything
• No crossed wires or miscommunication (everything goes through the caseworker)
For further information please
telephone 01603 212341 or email 
[email protected]