A strengths based approach to delivering the Disabled Facilities Grant – Thurrock Council

An accessible and well-adapted home can enable an adult or child with a disability to remain in their home for longer, with dignity and with pride, and the earlier this is achieved, the sooner the benefits can be realised.

Such benefits have long been recognised in Thurrock, and with the Care Act 2014 shifting the focus to early interventions that offer a more preventative approach to supporting people, the preventative benefits of accessible home adaptations were also anticipated.

This case study outlines how Thurrock Council OT and Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) service team have adopted a strength based approach to delivering DFGs to enhance individual’s independence and provide overall improvements to their health and wellbeing.

This approach shares the virtues set out in the Royal College of Occupational Therapists’ recent guide, Adaptations without Delay: A guide to planning and delivering home adaptations differently, written by the Housing LIN.