Accessible and inclusive homes: optimising adaptations and designing for the future, Leeds City Council

Leeds City Council is one of the largest social landlords in England, managing around 54,000 homes. The 2021 Census suggests around 17% of Leeds residents are disabled or have a long-term health problem, and that ethnic diversity continues to grow. 

Leeds has long recognised the value of occupational therapists (OTs) in relation to enabling healthy, accessible and inclusively designed, homes, with OTs initially employed in 2002 to work alongside building professionals to optimise investment in home extensions. From this stemmed the realisation that considerable investment in home adaptations in the council’s homes was being lost; it was typical for such adaptations to be removed when properties become available to rent. 

The housing occupational therapy team was borne from the evidence that a better use of existing adapted homes could be made. Receiving an average of 2,400 referrals a year, a team of eleven: 

• Match individuals and families to the right homes in the right communities that work for them, physically, mentally and spiritually. This includes ensuring that people with medical needs registered for social housing are appropriately prioritised for homes and communities that will best meet their needs as quickly as possible
• Work with internal teams and external partners to ensure that present and future homes are adaptable and designed to meet the changing needs and demographics of Leeds. This includes future proofing housing for health in later life, for example ensuring that new extra-care accommodation is designed for people with dementia

Located in the communities, environments and housing service, the housing OT team can inform the design of homes for the future, drawing on their specific expertise and knowledge of both the population and what works for people and communities. 

This approach saves an average of £3.7 million a year by recycling adaptations in properties, reusing valuable resources such as wet floor showers, stairlifts, through floor lifts, ramps, specialist baths, automatic toilets and tracking hoists.

Going forward the OT team is ready for any future developments in the upgrade and regeneration of existing sheltered housing around Leeds. They are best placed to understand the broader social benefits of how better accommodation can assist with good mental and physical health contributing towards greater wellbeing.