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Care and repair

Our Care & Repair Agency helps older or disabled people with house repairs, improvements or adaptations. Residents must either own or privately rent their home be responsible for paying for repairs.

We help ensure works are carried out by reputable tradesmen at a reasonable cost. Our service includes technical advice, the co-ordination of major works and a Handyperson scheme for small jobs. We also check your entitlement to financial assistance (eg grants and welfare benefits).

From small repairs to major improvements and adaptations, the agency can help with:

• Repairs to doors, windows, roofs and gutters.
• Renewing electrical wiring or plumbing.
• Damp proofing and general improvements.
• Disabled adaptations.
• Central heating.
• Energy conservation.
• Safety and security within the home.
• Advice on entitlement to welfare benefits.
• Referring clients to other agencies or services that could improve quality of life and help sustain independent living.

Help with larger jobs

Even if you are not entitled to any grants, the agency can give technical advice and manage larger jobs on your behalf. In these cases, you will have to pay for the work, along with a fee to the Agency based upon the total cost of the works, usually 10% or 12% of the cost of works .

In return we will:

• Help identify a solution after visiting your home and liaising with other professionals.
• Prepare a proposed schedule of repairs for you to consider.
• Seek competitive estimates, although you may want to choose your own contractor.
• Monitor the progress of works - a technical officer will visit to view completed jobs before the final payment is made to the contractor.
• Help you deal with any disruption that may be caused or unexpected snags that arise during the course of the works .

You will be responsible for employing the contractor concerned - the Agency will act in an advisory capacity on your behalf. The contract for the works will be between you and the firm concerned, but we are willing to help if any disputes arise.

We will tell you if you have to make payments, before we commit you to any charges and our advice is always free.

For further information on the services provided by the Agency please read the Care and Repair information leaflet and the Care and Repair Annual Report 2010/11.

 

Related Pages:

Disability    Access for all (Pages)

Equality and diversity (Pages)

Grants and loans for home repairs and adaptations (Pages)

IHOT's information brochure (Documents)

Older and vulnerable people (Pages)

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