Home improvements and adaptations

Find out how to access home adaptations and handyperson services to help people to live independently at home.

Your local minor adaptations or handyperson service

Improvements for homes in the Craven, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Harrogate and Selby areas

Contact the Yorkshire Housing home improvement team on 0345 366 4406.

Improvements for homes in the Scarborough and Ryedale areas

Contact the White Rose Home Improvement Agency on 01723 232323.

We work in partnership with others to offer home improvement services for older people, people with disabilities or anyone who feels vulnerable at home, including families with young children.

Minor adaptations handyperson service

You can contact the handyperson services provided by your local home improvement agency directly. They can carry out many small jobs and basic maintenance for you.

These could include:

  • odd jobs - such as replacing light bulbs, securing loose carpet or putting up shelves or flat-pack furniture
  • adaptations - providing and fitting grab rails and external hand rails, fitting of second banister rails, or larger scale adaptations, such as building a step to improve accessibility
  • security - fitting window locks, security chains, doorbells and door bolts. We also supply and install key safes or replacement door locks

Whether you own or rent your property, you can privately purchase/ self-refer or you may qualify for funding for some or all of the adaptations work, dependent upon an assessment by a social care professional.

Major Adaptations: Disabled Facilities Grants

We provide a technical service to support people who receive disabled facilities grants and work alongside our Occupational Therapists and technical officers and trusted assessors to ensure the most appropriate home solutions are achieved to meet future needs.

Find out about Disabled Facilities Grants on the UK Government website.

The work must have been assessed (usually by one of our Occupational Therapists or a trusted assessor) as meeting a need, and be ‘necessary and appropriate’.

Types of work include:

  • drawing plans
  • submitting planning and building regulation applications
  • obtaining quotes
  • overseeing work throughout the process
  • ensuring work is completed to the required standards/ regulations
  • linking with private or registered social landlords

We can carry out the work in-house or there may be options to project manage the contractors you choose.

Other help provided by home improvement agencies

Home improvement agencies work with us to provide a range of services which may include:

  • adaptations in the home as above
  • help with accessing benefits or grants to fund work
  • energy efficiency advice
  • free access to our 'safe traders' list of approved contractors, helping you to avoid rogue traders