There is significant demand for aids and adaptations and it is rising:

• Social housing is the primary tenure for people with disabilities, but a significant number of residents live in homes that do not meet their accessibility needs
• 2024-25 data shows that 46% of new social lettings include at least one person with long term illness or disability (a rise from 44% in the previous year)
• 23% of councils reported an average wait of over 2 years for an adaptation.

Registered providers have clear obligations to ensure tenants can access aids and adaptations but it can be a “postcode lottery”.  This core landlord service is too often overlooked and results in huge differences in service.

As the RSH Safety and Quality Standard states, “Registered providers must co-operate with tenants, appropriate local authority departments and other relevant organisations so that a housing adaptations service is available to tenants where appropriate.”

Awaab’s Law Phase 2 comes into force in October 2026 so it has never been more important to get this right. The correct package of adaptations can reduce injuries and falls by a quarter as well as prevent the need to move to residential care.

There is no doubt that making homes accessible is a particular challenge in England as we have some of the oldest housing stock in Europe. It was never designed to be suitable for people with accessibility needs.

Unfortunately, the Housing Ombudsman’s Learning from Severe Maladministration report from January 2025 shone a light on significant failings across the sector related to aids and adaptations services and highlighted that “Callous and uncaring systems and processes are repeatedly exposed through these investigations”. 

There is undeniably a need to:

• Improve the customer service and experience
• Work in partnership with others and make more effective use of stretched resources
• Streamline processes
• Shorten waiting times
• Strengthen data and record keeping.

Kevin Bentley, HQN associate, will lead the session and take delegates through the new toolkit, using his experience to set out the key elements of a comprehensive approach to aids and adaptations. He’ll provide an overview of the end-to-end process, setting out practical solutions to the common challenges faced by landlords.

We will also be joined by a council and a registered provider to share their experiences of improving their services and changing the way they deliver aids and adaptations.

This virtual workshop will cover all aspects of the aids and adaptation journey, including:

• Developing a strategic approach to aids and adaptations, taking into account current stock condition, customer profiling and demographic information regarding current and future demands
• Identifying potential sources of funding and being innovative with solutions
• Installation and dealing with major works
• Rehousing options
• Letting policies and accessible housing registers
• Recycling aids and adaptations
• Major and minor adaptations
• Improving the customer journey.

If you have a particular challenge that you’d like to discuss, please let us know in advance. We’ll make sure we cover it.

This masterclass is essential for everyone looking to improve their approach to aids and adaptations, deliver better outcomes for tenants and be ready for Awaab’s Law Phase 2.

Essential for:

• Surveyors
• Heads of housing
• Heads of service responsible for aids and adaptations
• Managers responsible for health and safety
• Housing managers and officers
• Heads of allocations
• Directors of housing
• Directors of asset management
• Customer service teams
• Local authority strategic housing and private sector teams
• Occupational therapists
• Anyone working on aids and adaptations in councils or registered providers.

Delegates will leave with a clearer understanding of current best practice in aids and adaptations – and Asset Management Network members will receive a copy of HQN’s Aids and Adaptations Toolkit.

If you are not a member and would like access to the toolkit, please contact us at [email protected].

1:30pm Chair’s welcome and introduction

Kevin Bentley, Associate, HQN

1:40pm Improving the customer journey

Kevin Bentley, Associate, HQN

• Clear policies, ownership and service standards
• Better use of customer and property data
• Improving communication, waiting times and resident feedback.

2:10pm The local authority role – strategic and landlord

Rachel Shalan, Private Sector Housing Manager Housing Solutions, Central Bedfordshire Council

• Disabled Facilities Grants and landlord adaptations
• Working across housing, OT and partner teams
• Managing budgets, demand and risk.

2:50pm Break

3:10pm Aids and Adaptations – the HQN toolkit

Kevin Bentley, Associate, HQN

• Overview of the updated HQN toolkit
• Reviewing key areas including policy, data, procurement and governance
• Identifying practical service improvements.

3:30pm Break out sessions

3:50pm Feedback from break out sessions

• Key themes from group discussions
• Shared learning and practical takeaways
• Final questions and comments

4:00pm Close

If you are unable to attend an event or public training course, please let us know in writing (email is fine) at least 48 hours before. Please email [email protected]

Otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable.

If you are using a package place to attend and do not inform us within the agreed time frame, then a place will be taken to cover your non-attendance.

Cancellations must be made in writing and will be acknowledged by HQN Limited.