Housing and adaptations
18 March, 2025
5 minute read
Measuring the impact of adaptations on independence and wellbeing
The Home Improvement Agency at West Berkshire Council has explored how to measure the impact of adaptations on service users’ independence and wellbeing. Previously, a customer satisfaction survey focused on the Disabled Facilities Grant process and contractor performance provided limited insight beyond the occasional thank you card.
Key takeaways
- The agency now measures the impact of adaptations on independence and wellbeing using a new outcome measure.
- A client-focused, goal-setting approach guided by the ‘Person, Environment, Occupation’ model was developed.
- The questionnaire captures specific goals and challenges, keeping the process person centred.
- Data shows that 95%-97% of service users achieve their goals and almost all are satisfied with the service.
- Future refinements will further enhance contractor feedback and assess pain levels to improve service quality.
Developing a new approach
Occupational therapists were tasked with creating an outcome measure that could capture quality of life changes and demonstrate the impact of interventions.
Recommendations from the report ‘Disabled Facilities Grant and other adaptations: external review’ highlighted the need for better local data to show health and care cost savings from improved home adaptations.
After reviewing standardised measures and guidance from RCOT and Foundations, a client-focused, goal-setting approach was chosen, and questions were designed to identify the challenges faced by service users and the goals they hoped to achieve through adaptations. These were then combined with the existing satisfaction survey to create a new questionnaire.
Administering the questionnaire
At the end of the initial assessment visit, service users are asked questions about how their health problems affect daily self-care and what they hope to achieve from adaptations.
The questionnaire offers a set of six statements to pinpoint specific personal goals along with an additional comments box for further detail. This process keeps the assessment person centred and provides occupational therapists with robust data to support necessary recommendations.
Evaluating outcomes
After adaptations are completed, service users are revisited to assess whether their goals have been met and to gather feedback on the performance of both the agency and the building contractors.
Data collected over 18 months shows that 95%-97% of service users achieve their goals either ‘a great deal’ or ‘a lot’, while nearly all express satisfaction with the service. Feedback also indicates that adaptations have significantly assisted informal carers, potentially delaying the need for further adult social care support.
The outcome measure now provides clear evidence of the positive impact of Disabled Facilities Grant interventions on residents’ quality of life and independence, offering a persuasive demonstration of service effectiveness for both the public and councillors.
This is a summary of an article first published in OTnews, in July 2023. Read it in full at https://www.rcot.co.uk/news/otnews. Reference: Smart H (2023) How do we know we are doing a good job? OTnews, 31(7) 38-41