Reasonable Adjustment Policy
Accountable Director: Operations
Policy Statement:
Freebridge Community Housing’s commit to ensure that all our services and sites are as inclusive and accessible as possible for all residents, and that we support any reasonable adjustments required so that residents receive the assistance they need to maintain their tenancy and homes. The aim is to help residents to live as long as possible in their homes by making reasonable adjustments where it is practical and safe to do so.
Procedural Guidance:
We shall:
- Support residents and make reasonable adjustments to our services to increase accessibility and inclusivity.
- Fully equip and upskill our team to support residents where adjustments are needed, and to reduce barriers that may prevent residents from accessing our services.
- Ensure clarity and transparency on how we consider requests, and the processes that are available to support residents where reasonable adjustments are required.
Legal and Regulatory Requirements
Freebridge Community Housing has a duty under The Equality Act 2010 which requires us to provide reasonable adjustments for residents who are disabled. This is defined under the Act, as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
Our duty is to make reasonable adjustments if the way that we carry out services places a disabled resident at a substantial disadvantage compared to someone who does not have a disability. A substantial disadvantage is more than minor or trivial.
The Equality Act 2010 does not describe what is reasonable, but a Code of Practice published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission makes clear that it depends on factors including:
- the effectiveness of the adjustment in preventing the disadvantage
- the extent to which it is practical to make the adjustment
- the cost of the adjustment and availability of resources, including external
assistance and finance - the extent of any disruption which the adjustment would cause
The Housing Ombudsman Complaints Handling Code 2024 states that, where appropriate, landlords must make reasonable adjustments for residents under the Equality Act 2010. Landlords must keep a record of any reasonable adjustments agreed, as well as a record of any disabilities a resident has disclosed. All agreed reasonable adjustments must be kept under active review.
Freebridge Community Housing will regularly review their recorded tenant support needs and adjustments to predict and prepare for future requirements, rather than wait until a need is disclosed.
Compliance and Monitoring
Compliance with this policy will be monitored by periodic reviews of case records by the relevant manager.
Complaints about failure to make reasonable adjustments
If customers are not happy with our response to any reasonable adjustments, or the adjustment provided, a complaint can be reported to. The complaints policy outlines how concerns will be managed, including expected response times.
