Delivering housing solutions for older people and people with disabilities
We offer home solutions that can help you to manage staying safe at home. We can talk to you about the range of services available.
The Home Solutions Team includes our Handypersons, Occupational Therapists, Keyworkers and Surveyors.
We work across Cornwall offering solutions that can help people stay safe at home. This includes:
- Adapting your home
- Providing you with equipment
- Financial advice and assistance
- Moving you to more suitable and appropriate accommodation
- household maintenance and repairs if you have a disability and/or are over 60
The ‘Accessible Housing: Key Points’ document is an easy read executive summary of the policy. You can also read our Cornwall Home Solutions Policy and the Policy appendices here.
Housing support, advice and assistance
Home solutions offer advice and assistance to people with disabilities. This is for things like moving home or adaptations to help live independently at home. We may be able to assist by providing the following:
- Explaining your housing options to help you to decide which solutions are best for you
- Supporting you to find a more suitable property if a house move is deemed most appropriate to meet your needs
- Advising on what financial support may be available to help with a house move or adapting your home
- Giving advice about reliable local builders and contractors
- Signposting to other local support services
- Offering a design and install service. Qualified surveyors will work with you to plan and design adaptations to meet your needs
- Checking your eligibility for a Disabled Facilities Grant and assist with access charitable funding
- Helping with any adaptations you decide to have carried out in your home
- Drawing up plans and specifications for adaptations to your home
- Obtaining any necessary permissions (such as planning or building control) required to adapt your home
- Getting estimates, instructing your preferred contractor and monitoring works in progress to adapt your home
- Coordinating input from a range of professionals such as occupational therapists as and when needed
- Handyperson services, to carry out small jobs around your home
Our team have a broad range of experience to support your individual needs. We are committed to using TrustMark registered contractors. Contact us on 01872 224707 or email adaptationsteam@cornwall.gov.uk
Handyperson scheme
The Handyperson Service provides help with household maintenance and repairs for people in Cornwall who are over 60 or have a disability.
How much will it cost?
If in receipt of a means tested benefit, such as Guaranteed Pension Credit or Housing Benefit, it is £12.72 per hour including VAT + the cost of any materials. If not, then it is £22 per hour including VAT.
How can I access the service?
Call 01872 224707 and we will take your details then your local Handyperson will call you back and make an appointment
Is there a waiting list?
Depending on demand we hope to be able to visit within 2 weeks although it can sometimes be longer.
What sort of jobs will the Handyperson help me with?
They can help with minor repairs and adaptations in the home, including:
- Small building repairs, clear guttering on bungalows, small glazing jobs
- Minor adaptations (eg installation of grab rails, hand rails in the garden or stair rails
- “Odd” jobs (putting up curtain rails and shelves, moving furniture, assembly of flat pack furniture)
- Changing washers or taps, renew sealants, replace toilet seats, small areas of tiling, unblock sinks
- General home safety checks with remedial action (fitting smoke and carbon dioxide detectors)
- We can change bulbs, fuses or plugs
- Falls/accident prevention checks with remedial action (securing loose carpets or putting up grab rails)
- Security checks with remedial action (fitting key safes, spy holes, window and door locks and chains)
- Energy efficiency (for example installing low energy light bulbs, draught proofing)
- Loft clearance to allow for insulation to be fitted
- Cleaning pathways to minimise risk of slip hazard
- Signposting clients to other services
As a service, although not limited to, we are unable to provide support with cleaning, painting, decorating or gardening tasks.
For more information, please view our Handyperson Leaflet
Occupational therapy
An occupational therapist helps people of all ages overcome challenges completing everyday tasks or activities – what we call ‘occupations’.
Occupational therapists see beyond diagnoses and limitations to hopes and aspirations. They look at relationships between the activities you do every day – your occupations – alongside the challenges you face and your environment.
Occupational Therapy staff will help you find practical solutions to lead a more fulfilling life. Occupational Therapists have;
- a specific statutory role to assess individuals who could benefit from adaptations within their home environment. This might include providing access in and out of your property or to principal living areas such as the kitchen, living room or bathroom. They also work closely with the Technical Officers and the Handyperson service who install minor adaptations to support activities of daily living.
- can offer advice on adapting your home to meet your needs and make recommendations to facilitate that.
- may provide specialist advice to ensure that individuals are able move to a suitable property if their existing home cannot be adapted.
- as part of their intervention, occupational therapists may use their specialist knowledge and expertise in using equipment to promote independence and wellbeing.
- provide help and training in daily activities.
- build confidence and participation in leisure, learning and work activities.
The Occupational Therapy staff visit you at home, assess your needs and work with you (and your family) to secure a solution. Often advice or minor adaptations and equipment such as grab rails, or a bath seat, can be enough to help you get back to managing independently and can be fitted very quickly. Occupational Therapy staff will talk with you about all options, including moving to a more appropriate property.
Sometimes larger adaptations are needed like a ramp or stair-lift and we recommend what will best suit your situation. These solutions may take longer to arrange, or your needs may be better met by moving home.
The Council offers a range of support to help you find a solution that’s best for you. To find out more, visit our Health and Social Care pages
Referrals for Occupational Therapy
Or contact Adult Social Care on 0300 1234 131.
You can request help for a child via the following link: Early help - Cornwall Council or by calling 01872 322277
