Building Health into Homes: Operational Toolkit

Practical resources, templates and real-world examples

OTs are experts in the relationship between health and the built environment

This toolkit provides practical resources, templates and real-world examples that enable health, social care and housing services to maximise their impact upon health outcomes through housing interventions.

It focuses on the unique skillset of occupational therapists (OTs) as experts in the relationship between health and the built environment, and demonstrates how OT-led housing interventions can be expanded beyond traditional equipment and adaptation provision.

We’ve designed the toolkit for health and social care leaders, occupational therapy service managers, allied health professional (AHP) leads and commissioners who are ready to transform how occupational therapy contributes to health and housing outcomes.

It also provides guidance for housing associations, planning authorities, housing providers, developers, insurance providers, medico-legal professionals, public health directors and integrated care system leaders who want to understand and harness occupational therapy expertise.

Download the full operational toolkit

How occupational therapy can unlock the connection between housing and health – webinar

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The eight core housing roles framework

This framework sets out eight interconnected roles through which occupational therapists in a range of settings can contribute to improved housing outcomes. It’s designed as a practical tool that can be used flexibly to reflect local priorities, structures and resources, and to support decision‑making at strategic, service and operational levels.

The eight roles are:

New-build development and design – including strategy and planning.
Asset management and housing stock optimisation.
Housing needs assessment and home allocations.
Hospital discharge and admission avoidance.
Housing adaptations.
Tenancy sustainment, including fire safety.
Complex and specialist design needs.
Training and system development (future-proofing).

Download the full Operational Toolkit to learn more

Occupational therapy role profiles

These exemplar job descriptions illustrate how different housing roles and responsibilities can be fulfilled by OTs in various settings.

The templates have been developed from real-world examples. They align with the eight core housing roles framework and can be adjusted or combined for different services and locations.

Asset management and housing stock optimisation

Occupational Therapist: Housing and Community Investment

Housing needs assessment and home allocations

Hospital discharge and admission avoidance

Housing adaptations

Implementation service examples

This section supports the eight core housing roles framework by providing real examples of services across the UK that have already adopted one or more of the eight roles.

The examples demonstrate how occupational therapists in a broad range of practice settings are successfully implementing housing-focused interventions with diverse populations. Each service example provides practical implementation guidance, lessons learned and actionable tips that can be adapted to your local context and organisational structure.

New-build development and design, including strategy and planning

Asset management and housing stock optimisation

Housing needs assessment and home allocations

Hospital discharge and admission avoidance

Housing adaptations

Bristol City Council: Accessible Homes Service

Tenancy sustainment, including fire safety

Essex County Council: Supported accommodation for adults with complex mental health needs

Complex and specialist design needs

Training and system development (future-proofing)

Essex County Council: Multi-level training for occupational therapy learners, newly qualified OTs and experienced OTs

Developing a business case

Many occupational therapy roles in housing are innovative, cross‑sector and preventative – meaning they often sit outside established funding or service models.

We’ve included guidance on developing a business case to clearly articulate the value of these roles in ways that resonate with decision-makers.

By strengthening the case for investment, this section aims to support the development and sustainability of housing‑focused occupational therapy roles across different settings and local contexts.

Learn more by downloading the full Operational Toolkit

Business case scenario templates

These business case templates can be used to make the case for four different OT roles in housing. They’re based on real-world scenarios and can be customised with local data.

The four scenarios

Evidence and demonstrating impact

Demonstrating impact is essential for sustaining and scaling housing‑focused occupational therapy roles. Decision-makers need clear, credible evidence that shows how interventions improve people’s lives, contribute to system priorities and deliver value for money.

This section helps identify meaningful outcomes, use proportionate and practical methods, and present evidence in ways that are relevant to commissioners, planners and senior leaders.

By strengthening how impact is evidenced and communicated, this guidance supports more confident decision‑making, ongoing investment and continuous service improvement.

Learn more by downloading the full Operational Toolkit

Operational resources

In this section you’ll find a selection of resources produced by a range of organisations, including reports, case studies and repositories.

These cover a breadth of subjects relevant to occupational therapy and housing and can be used as supporting evidence for business cases and service redesign.

Learn more by downloading the full Operational Toolkit

Legislative and policy drivers

This section signposts key legislative and policy documents relevant to housing, health and social care across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

These resources provide the wider context in which occupational therapy roles in housing operate and are essential for understanding local responsibilities, opportunities and constraints. Referencing these documents alongside the eight core housing roles supports the development of services that are evidence‑informed, strategically aligned and focused on enabling people to live safely, independently and well in their homes.

Learn more by downloading the full Operational Toolkit

Download the full Operational Toolkit

Find out more

Building Health into Homes

The foundations of our campaign to unlock the connection between housing and health

Strategic Report

Useful for policymakers, system leaders, commissioners and housing and public health decision-makers

Practitioner Toolkit

Supports all occupational therapists to bring housing into everyday practice