Dear Annahita

 

Thank you for your email dated 30 April 2019; we have treated this as a Freedom of Information request.

 

You have asked for the following information; please see our responses below in red:

 

Number of physically disabled social housing tenants in the Borough of Barnet – 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 –

  1. How many known physically disabled social housing tenants are there?

 

March 2018 – All tenants 2071 – Main Tenant Only 2005

March 2019 – All tenants 1983 – Main Tenant Only 1922

 

  1. How many known wheelchair-reliant social housing tenants are there?

 

Have declared a disability and are in a Wheelchair:

March 2018 – All tenants/ Main tenants – 9

March 2019 – All tenants/ Main tenants – 8

 

Available wheelchair friendly social housing in the Borough of Barnet – 2017/2018 and 2018/2019

  1. How many wheelchair compliant and friendly social homes are available?

 

At present, there are no wheelchair compliant homes available, as they are currently all let. IF a property becomes available, it undergoes void works and depending on the works required, it will undergo routine works (9 working days) or major works (28 working days)and be re-let after the works are completed.

 

Applications (including for rehousing) for wheelchair friendly social housing in the Borough of Barnet

2015/2016, 2017/2018 and 2018/2019

  1. How many applications were made for wheelchair friendly social housing?

 

2015/2016 – 36

2017/2018 – 33

2018/2019 – 43

 

These are totals – Cases may be across two of the years ie applied in 2018 and still waiting in 2019.

 

  1. How many of the above applications were supported by official medical evidence?

All of them

 

  1. How many wheelchair friendly homes were offered to applicants?

 

2015/2016 – 23

2017/2018 – 34 (the largest proportion were two bed Housing Association new builds)

2018/2019 – 8

 

  1. How many of the above offers were accepted?

All of them

 

  1. How many of the above applications were refused?

Clients initially refused but following our appeals procedure they accepted.

 

NOTE: This document is merely a freedom of information request and does not in any way constitute a legal

document or legal representations, and is written only in my capacity as a lay person.

 

  1. What were the general reasons for refusal?

Not happy with area or only want to accept Local authority property not a Housing Association property

 

  1. How many decisions on the applications remain outstanding?

There are currently 1,600  cases which are awaiting assessment unfortunately we are unable to identity clients requiring wheelchair accommodation. (these include tenants & clients on the housing register).

 

  1. How many accepted applications are yet to result in housing/rehousing?

21 (one beds), 7 (two beds), 9 (three beds), 6 (four beds)

 

  1. What is the longest period of delay for sourcing wheelchair friendly accommodation for an accepted application?

March 2015

 

  1. What are the general identified reasons for delays?

Lack of adaptable stock available

 

  1. What procedure does the Council follow in processing and resolving applications for housing and/or rehousing by physically disabled social tenants?

We discuss our weekly empty properties to see if any could be adapted for wheelchair clients, we supply the demand information to Housing Associations for future new build and we have resolved cases though the homefinder scheme. We would consider adapting accommodation in the private sector if a landlord agrees.

 

  1. What shortfalls, if any, have been identified in processing and resolving applications, particularly in cases where there are long periods of delay?

Lack of adaptable stock. We would offer temporary accommodation or look to putting in minor adaptions if possible.

 

  1. What are the Council’s responsibilities and duties over physically disabled social tenants, when it cannot source safe and suitable accommodation for them?

Their cases will be re-assessed by our medical team if there are significant changes and new recommendations will be made and clients may be rebanded into a higher band.

 

  1. Where are tenants expected to live during long periods of delay in sourcing safe and suitable accommodation?

In their present accommodation.

 

  1. What support services are available to such tenants during the said delay?

Family and social services support them.

 

  1. How many of those support services are offered to such tenants?  

Clients are referred to Adult Social services where if they are not currently engaged and is appropriate

Your rights

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been handled, you can request a review by emailing Talk2Us@barnethomes.org and marking it as an appeal for the attention of the Data Controller.

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF (telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45; website: www.ico.gov.uk).

There is no charge for making an appeal.

Kind regards,

Carly Williamson                         

Complaints and Information Manager

020 8359 6379

 

The Barnet Group

(Incorporating Barnet Homes, Your Choice (Barnet), Opendoor Homes, TBG Flex, and Bumblebee)

Barnet House | 1255 High Road | Whetstone | London | N20 0EJ