Request 101004052219

Please provide the following information concerning housing adaptations for disabled people.  Where information is held separately according to housing tenure, please provide the figures separately for:

i. owner-occupiers;
ii. council tenants;
iii. housing association/RSL tenants;
iv. private tenants; and
v. any other category used by the authority.

1. Adaptation referrals and assessments

For each of the financial years 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26, please provide:
a. The total number of referrals/applications received for housing adaptations.
b. The number of those referrals/applications for which an assessment by an Occupational Therapist was required before the adaptation could be approved, authorised or funded.
c. The number which were approved, authorised or funded without an Occupational Therapist assessment.
d. If separately recorded, the number involving bathroom adaptations or replacement of a bath with a shower, and the numbers in (b) and (c) for that category.

2. Current assessment pathway

Please state whether, as at 31 August 2026, an Occupational Therapist assessment is routinely required before approval, authorisation or funding of:
a. straightforward or standard housing adaptations generally;
b. replacement of a bath with a shower;
c. other standard bathroom adaptations.

Please provide the current policy, procedure, assessment pathway, protocol, eligibility criteria, flowchart or other document governing that decision.

Please also identify any circumstances in which these adaptations can currently proceed through:
i. direct access;
ii. self-assessment;
iii. assessment by staff other than Occupational Therapists; or
iv. another streamlined pathway.

3. Occupational Therapy resources

For each of 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26, please provide, where recorded:
a. the number of Occupational Therapy assessments undertaken specifically in connection with housing adaptations;
b. the average or standard staff time allocated to such an assessment;
c. the total staff hours spent undertaking such assessments;
d. the cost of providing Occupational Therapy assessment for housing adaptations, where separately identifiable.

If these figures are not held, please simply state that they are not held rather than undertaking a manual calculation.

4. Waiting times

As at 31 August 2026, or the closest date for which information is available, please provide:
a. the number of people awaiting an Occupational Therapy assessment in connection with a housing adaptation;
b. the recorded average and/or median waiting time from referral to OT assessment;
c. the longest recorded current waiting time, if held;
d. any published or internally reported performance target for this waiting period.

5. January 2023 Scottish Government statutory guidance

The Scottish Government published its Guidance on the Provision of Equipment and Adaptations on 17 January 2023.

Please provide copies of any documents held since 17 January 2023 which record consideration by the authority, HSCP or relevant service management of how the authority should implement that guidance in relation to housing adaptations.

For this part I am seeking existing:
a) reviews;
b) implementation plans;
c) reports;
d) briefing papers;
e) committee or management papers/minutes;
f) revised procedures or protocols; and
g) recorded decisions.

6. Changes resulting from the guidance

Please state whether the authority's housing-adaptation assessment pathway has been changed since 17 January 2023 as a consequence, wholly or partly, of the Scottish Government guidance.

If yes, please provide:

a. the date of the change;

b. a brief description of the change; and

c. the relevant revised policy/procedure.

If no change was made, please provide any recorded decision, review or assessment concluding that the existing arrangements should remain unchanged.

7. Direct-access monitoring

If the authority operates a direct-access, self-assessment or non-OT pathway for straightforward housing adaptations, please provide for 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26:

a. the number of adaptations processed through that pathway;

b. the types of adaptation covered by it; and

c. any recorded waiting-time or processing-time information for that pathway.

Electronic responses and existing spreadsheets or reports are preferred. There is no requirement to create new information or manually calculate figures which are not already held.