Members will be asked to consider the outcome of an 8-week public consultation into the future options for design services for Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) and agree next steps.
Given the continued financial challenges we’re facing, including rising costs and increased demand for social care, Cabinet agreed in July to consult on 3 options for the future delivery of design services for DFGs and, following feedback, members are now being asked to agree to:
- no longer fund the discretionary element of the service provided by our disability design team
- reduce the size of the design team which will continue to do the work we have a legal duty to carry out and projects already in transition until 31 March 2026, with continuing funding in place for these projects thereafter
The government provides funding to district and borough councils for DFGs to fund adaptations to support eligible children and adults with disabilities. These range from stairlifts and level access showers to more complex adaptations such as extensions.
Part of the work our disability design team does is discretionary and supports the delivery of the DFG scheme. However, the discretionary architectural, design and procurement work provided by the team is not currently fully charged to the 6 district and borough councils we support.
Read the full report on Derbyshire Democracy.